Woman dead after police chase that began in Delaware ends with crash, shooting in Chester, Pa.
According to authorities, police tried serving the 23-year-old woman in Wilmington on Tuesday morning for her alleged role in a December shooting, but she was able to flee.
The scene after a crash after the driver fled police. (6abc)
This story originally appeared on 6abc.
A chase that started with an attempt to serve a warrant in Delaware ended with a deadly police-involved shooting in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Police tried serving a warrant to a woman in Wilmington on Tuesday morning, but she was able to flee in a vehicle.
According to authorities, the 23-year-old was approached for her alleged role in a shooting that took place back in December.
“The female was wanted, and there was an active warrant, and that’s why she fled from police,” noted Chester Police Commissioner Steven Gretsky.
She led police on a chase to Chichester, Pa., where gunshots were fired. The woman allegedly then carjacked a dark-colored SUV, and the chase continued.
John Rapp, who witnessed the incident, was driving down the highway in Chichester at the time and says he saw police open fire.
“It was probably two or three magazines that got emptied, and then a black Tahoe with the window blown out came back down the ramp, passed the police officers,” Rapp recalled.
The pursuit came to a dramatic conclusion when the suspect crashed and rolled the SUV near 12th and Kerlin streets in the city of Chester.
The woman then broke into a nearby home.
Justin Burton told Action News about a disturbing call he got from his girlfriend, who was inside that home at the time.
“She kept calling me, so I finally just answered and she was like, ‘Justin, someone broke into the house, someone broke into the house,'” Burton said.
Burton’s girlfriend told him the suspect was clearly injured.
“‘She was bleeding, she must’ve gotten shot,'” Burton said, relaying the conversation. “And it’s like, ‘Be quiet, don’t worry about it. Just chill, just be cool.'”
He said he heard his girlfriend say, ”My daughter is upstairs and she’s crying. You gotta get out.'”
Moments later, police converged on the suspect.
“They must’ve gone to the front, the cops, because she got my baby mama’s keys and her gun and hopped in the car and tried to pull off,” Burton said. “And that’s when they started shooting the car up.”
Authorities confirmed the female suspect did not survive. Fortunately, no other injuries have been reported.
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“It’s a lot to take in. Everything is fine,” Burton said. “I’m just glad everything is taken care of.”
At least nine officers opened fire on the suspect. It’s not clear if, at any point, the suspect fired on officers.
The woman’s name has not been released.
A portion of Interstate 95 was shut down near the scene in Chester around lunchtime Tuesday, but the highway has since reopened.
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