YPSILANTI, Mich. – A person has died after a police chase that ended in a shooting Tuesday morning in Ypsilanti.
Previous coverage: Residents asked to avoid area of Prospect Street in Ypsilanti due to police investigation
According to the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, deputies saw a van traveling without license plates or headlights in the area of Michigan Avenue and Prospect Road just before 2 a.m. on Jan. 6. When deputies tried to pull over the van, the driver failed to stop and drove away.
Deputies chased after the van, which resulted in the suspect driving the wrong way on Grove Road before trying to ram into law enforcement cars.
At around 2:07 a.m., the van was involved in a crash near Prospect and Towner streets with one of the deputies’ cars. Shortly after, authorities said shots were fired and were told the suspect was armed with a shotgun.
The suspect then died at the scene, according to authorities. It’s not immediately clear if the suspect was shot by law enforcement, but the sheriff’s office confirmed that deputies returned fire.
No deputies or officers were injured in the shooting. The investigation is ongoing and is being handled by Michigan State Police.
“To respect the privacy of the individual involved and their family, information regarding the identity of the person cannot be released,” said the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office.
Prospect Street near Towner Street remains closed as law enforcement continues to investigate the scene.