Metro pursuit ends with woman’s suicide

Tuesday, April 3, 2001 | 10:45 a.m.

A 19-year-old woman shot and killed herself after a car chase and foot pursuit with Metro Police early this morning, police say.

The woman was fleeing from a reportedly stolen car on Darmak Drive near Valley View and Oakey boulevards about 1:40 a.m. Officers found her on top of a block wall in the back yard of a home on Melville Drive.

The woman was about to jump down when she saw officers in the yard. She then pulled out a gun and shot and killed herself, Lt. Jeff Carlson said.

Metro homicide detectives are investigating the woman's death, because officers were present at the time, but police are treating it as a suicide, Carlson said.

The incident started when an officer stopped behind a car on Oakey and Decatur boulevards and the driver took off. Officers stopped the pursuit as the speed became dangerous, Carlson said. The car had been reported stolen.

Metro's helicopter followed the car to Darmak Drive, where two people jumped out of the car. A 19-year-old man was taken into custody near the car as other officers followed the woman, police said.

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