A Michigan sheriff’s deputy has died after a pursuit and deputy involved shooting that also left the suspected gunman dead, according to deputies.
The suspect led authorities on a chase and fired on deputies who fired back, killing the suspect Saturday evening, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release posted on Facebook.
Deputy Ryan Proxmire suffered a gunshot wound “while he was actively pursuing a fleeing vehicle” during the incident, the sheriff’s office said.
“It is with a heavy heart and deep regret that we announce Deputy Ryan Proxmire has succumb to his injuries,” the office said in a later statement Sunday.
Sheriff Richard C. Fuller is expected to hold a press conference Monday updating the community with details on the investigation into the officer involved shooting.
Deputies said the incident began when the suspect, who was involved in a pursuit with a neighboring department earlier in the day, pointed a handgun at sheriff’s deputies who made contact with him at a gas station in Galesburg, Michigan. The suspect then got in a vehicle and fled the scene, according to deputies.
During the chase, the suspect “fired multiple rounds from his vehicle at the pursuing deputies,” and a Kalamazoo County sheriff’s deputy involved in the pursuit was hit, causing the deputy’s patrol car to leave the road, the release said.
The pursuit continued until “the suspect lost control of his vehicle and left the road, driving off into a field” where the vehicle got stuck. Then, according to the release, the suspect got out of the vehicle and started shooting at deputies who fired back, fatally shooting the suspect.
A motorist found the injured deputy on the side of the road, called 911 and he was taken to a local hospital.
The Michigan State Police have been called in to investigate the incident.