A suspect and a hostage are both dead after a 130-mile police chase that originated in Bell County in Central Texas and ended in Fort Worth Sunday evening.
At a late Sunday news conference, Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes explained the department received a call from the Troy Police Department at 7:23 p.m. requesting assistance in apprehending a subject driving erratically northbound on I-35W.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and Hill County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with the chase.
A male passenger in the vehicle appeared to be holding the female driver at gunpoint. The subject’s car, a Toyota Prius, eventually crashed on I-35W near Spur 280. Following the crash, police heard a single gunshot coming from the direction of the vehicle.
Noakes said the suspect appeared to have shot the female driver, although the motive for the shooting is unclear. In an effort to save the woman’s life, police decided to approach the vehicle.
During the approach, at least one Fort Worth officer fired a shot at the suspect, striking him. Police then moved in to administer first aid and life-saving measures. However, both the driver and the suspect succumbed to their injuries.
“[Officers] were presented with a deadly situation where there was a hostage inside a vehicle, based on the information we know now, who had been shot,” Noakes said in the news conference.
“There’s an armed person inside of the vehicle… [officers] formulated a plan and acted. They did what they could to try to save that victim despite the danger that was presented,” he continued.
The Fort Worth Police Department’s major case and internal affairs units are investigating the police shooting part of the case.
The names of the victim and suspect have not yet been released. It is unclear whether they knew each other or if the woman was carjacked.
Detectives from the Troy Police Department are investigating how the incident began and working to identify the two persons involved.