A pursuit that included numerous agencies ended with the driver being pursued shooting himself as he tried to flee.

Preliminary investigation by Indiana State Police Detective Chris Campione revealed that the male driver had been involved in an earlier homicide in city of Knox in Starke County today, Friday, June 06, 2014. The driver left the residence in a personal vehicle and car-jacked two other vehicles in two different locations in Starke County thereafter. After car-jacking the last vehicle, a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the driver drove west on State Road 8 until that vehicle broke down in front of a residence in the 200 block of west S.R. 8 in Porter County. Two males who were leaving the residence in a 1988 GMC Sierra pick-up stopped to see if they could be of any assistance and the driver implied that he had a weapon and took the Sierra. The two males were not harmed and called Porter County 911 at 4:04 p.m. to report the car-jacking.

Hebron Police saw the Sierra pick-up at S.R. 8 and 600 South and began a pursuit. Porter County Sheriff Department joined the pursuit shortly thereafter. The pursuit crossed numerous county roads until the Sierra went west bound on 109th by this time Lake County Sheriff’s Department and their aircraft Eagle One had joined in. Stop sticks were thrown out at Maine and 109th by Crown Point Police where the Sierra was unable to avoid them causing two of his tires to deflate. Indiana State Police had shut down the entire interchange of 109th and I-65 during this time.

The Sierra went north bound on the I-65 south bound to 109th exit and attempted to make a U-turn to go south on I-65 when it lost control and got stuck in the gravel between the interstate and the ramp. As police closed in on the Sierra the driver shot himself once. He was taken to Saint Anthony’s Hospital in Crown Point and later airlifted to Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois in critical condition.

All inquiries about the homicide and two car-jacking that occurred in Starke County please call Starke County Deputy Bill Dulin at 574-772-3771. The name of the pursued driver is being withheld pending notification of the family. That name will also be released by Starke County Sheriff’s Department.

The Indiana State Police are assisting in the homicide.

No further information is available at this time.

All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

**Picture is of the 1988 Sierra Pick-up