Merced County man faces charges of attempted murder from shootout with Stanislaus deputies
A Merced County man faces five counts of attempted murder, among other charges, after after exchanging gunfire with Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputies Friday night.
The 43-year-old suspect, Jason Benson Dingler, was struck by at least one bullet, was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition in the intensive care unit, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office on Sunday. No deputies or other assisting law enforcement were injured in the incident.
The shooting came after Dingler stole a gun during a residential burglary, used the same firearm to carjack a truck and then stole alcohol from a convenience store, the news release says.
At about 3:45 p.m. Friday, deputies investigated a home burglary in the 3500 block of West Keyes Road in Keyes, where a handgun was stolen.
At 5:31 p.m., a man on the 5100 block of Muncy Road in Modesto reported having his pickup truck carjacked at gunpoint by a white male adult, later determined to be Dingler, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
At 5:37 p.m., an employee of the One Stop Market in Grayson said a man with a gun stole from the store. That man matched the description of the carjacker and also later was identified as Dingler.
A California Highway Patrol officer located the stolen truck traveling south on Highway 33 at 5:44 p.m., the news release says. When multiple deputies arrived to assist in stopping the pickup, the driver would not pull over, instead leading them on a pursuit.
With the Sheriff’s Office helicopter overhead, the suspect continued to flee on Highway 33, reaching speeds up to 95 mph. During the pursuit, just before 6 p.m., the driver sideswiped a car as he passed it, causing the pickup to crash at the edge of an orchard.
The suspect fled on foot into the orchard, where he shot at deputies multiple times, according to the news release.
The SO helicopter, Air101, gave updates to deputies as Dingler moved through the orchard, including lying on the ground, shooting at deputies again and striking a patrol car.
For several minutes, he could be seen with a gun in his hand and moving closer to the deputies.
At 6:26 p.m., as Dingler was approaching deputies, two fired at him at least one time each, the release says. Dingler was struck by at least one bullet and fell to the ground.
“Deputies gave him multiple commands, but he was uncooperative and still had a gun within his reach,” it says.
As additional safety equipment arrived at the scene, including armored vehicles, deputies approached Dingler and took him into custody at 6:47 p.m. They began providing him medical treatment until he could be taken to a hospital by a nearby waiting ambulance.
The firearm used by Dingler to shoot at deputies was recovered from the orchard and is the one stolen in the burglary. It’s believed to be the same one in the carjacking and market robbery.
The Major Crimes Unit, Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office and administrative investigators responded to the scene. “It is standard for both criminal and administrative investigations to be conducted at the same time when an officer-involved shooting occurs,” the release says.
The five counts of attempted murder Dingler faces reflect the number of deputies who were at the shooting scene.
He also faces charges of burglary, carjacking (including kidnapping, burglary and assault with a deadly weapon, robbery (including brandishing a firearm, evading a peace officer, hit and run, possession of a stolen vehicle, and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
This story was originally published September 24, 2023 at 1:07 PM.
