DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – A police chase came to a crashing end in Delray Beach Tuesday night, but it wasn’t until shortly after that things turned deadly.
The man police were chasing opened fire on Florida Highway Patrol troopers in pursuit, and they eventually fired back and killed him.
The investigation is still in its early stages as authorities continue combing multiple crime scenes.
Local 10 News spoke to a man only wanting to be identified as Dan. The whole incident came to its deadly end right in Dan’s yard.
Dan said he heard what sounded like gunshots, so he went out to his porch.
“Maybe about 15 minutes later this guy comes running by.” Dan said. “Then by the time I got up, here come the police, had his gun out and running behind him.”
Dan said he went back into his house, and then he heard more gunshots.
“I’m in the house now, at the window, pow pow pow 4 shots,” he said. “I looked and had he fell down.”
According to FHP, the incident started when a trooper spotted a car driving recklessly on I-95.
FHP said that trooper then tried to pull over the car, but it took off, eventually exiting at Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, before crashing.
According to authorities, the man behind the wheel then got out and started shooting at the trooper, who returned fire.
There was a foot chase and eventually, it all came to an end in Dan’s side yard, where the man died.
“Never seen him,” Dan said of the man who was killed. “Not from around here.”
On Wednesday, crime scene investigators were going over the area, and a dog from the ATF swept the scene for firearms, ammunition or explosives.
Investigators said the car the man was driving was found to be stolen, and that troopers recovered a handgun and a rifle from the scene.
They have yet to identify the man who was killed. The trooper, who has also not been identified, has been placed on administrative leave as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates the shooting.