Kentucky State Police is conducting a death investigation after a man shot fatally shot himself as he fled police in Owensboro.
Sunday morning at approximately 10:20, troopers responded to Walnut Street after a male suspect shot himself after a short vehicle pursuit with the Owensboro Police Department.
According to KSP, the preliminary investigation revealed that Owensboro police conducted a traffic stop in the 400 block of Parrish Avenue. Police said that during the investigation, the officer learned the driver had a warrant for his arrest.
“When the officer asked him to exit the vehicle, the suspect accelerated from the stop, dragging the officer,” police said. “A short vehicle pursuit ensued, encompassing several blocks,” with the suspect exiting the vehicle and fleeing on foot with a pistol in hand.
Police said the suspect, who was not named, was observed walking on Walnut Street near Parrish Avenue with the pistol to his head. A responding OPD officer turned onto Walnut Street from Parrish Avenue, with the officer and suspect coming within a “close distance of each other.”
The suspect then shot himself in the head and fell to the ground, state police said. The officer, who was sitting in his cruiser, discharged his weapon from inside the vehicle, but it is unknown if the suspect was struck by the officer’s gunfire, according to police.
The Daviess County Coroner pronounced the suspect dead at the scene. The body has been transported to the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s office for autopsy.
The officer involved in the incident was not identified by KSP.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
