Shock, Montana Fugitive’s Life Ends in Vermilion Parish Field

A man wanted by the U.S. Marshal's Office on a warrant out of Montana fled into a field in Vermilion Parish yesterday after taking a gun out of the saddlebag on his motorcycle.

Vermilion Parish Sheriff's Office Spokesman Eddie Langlinais says the whole situation on Sherry Road began to unfold around 9 o'clock Wednesday morning. A deputy pulled over a man riding a motorcycle because the man was not wearing a helmet. Langlinais says that deputy was joined by another as the two attempted to figure out the man's identity. While not pointing or threatening the deputies with the gun, he did retrieve it from his saddlebag. When he was ordered at gunpoint to put it down, he instead ran into a field adjacent to Shelly Road.

Langlinais says they were able to eventually identify the man as Kelly Vaughn who is also known at Kelly Edward Griffin. The 43-year-old man was listed as armed and dangerous in a national database for "Possession of a Weapon with a no-bail warrant." Drones were used to find Vaughn in the thick grassy field. Crisis negotiators were called in to try to talk the man into giving up but to no avail. Vaughn even fired on the drones and made comments that he was going to end his own life. The man said he was not going back to jail.

Around 4:30 yesterday afternoon, Vaughn took his own life by shooting himself in the head. This was caught on surveillance video via the drones that were being used to monitor Vaughn.

Langlinais says Vaughn's family was notified of his death.

Sheriff Mike Couvillon says residents in the area were relieved once the situation came to an end. Couvillion says he is appreciative of the work of deputies, the Special Response Team, and Louisiana State Police for their help with the situation.