Two suspects involved in a high-speed police chase that began Monday morning in Cortez were found dead after eventually crashing on a dead-end street in Shiprock, New Mexico.
San Juan County (New Mexico) Sheriff's Office Lt. Kyle Lincoln said both apparently died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
"Their bodies have been released to the Office of the Medical Examiner," he said, "and we expect the autopsies to be performed first thing (Tuesday)."
Lincoln said that they had not yet identified the two suspects as of 7:15 p.m. Monday, and they were in contact with the FBI and Florida law-enforcement agencies.
Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin said he monitored the entire police pursuit, adding he was unaware of a single shot fired by any law-enforcement official.
"It's an ongoing investigation involving multiple agencies," Nowlin said. "Time will tell."
According to Montezuma County Sheriff's Office Undersheriff Jim Kingery, the high-speed pursuit originated in Cortez just after 11 a.m. Monday after a "gas skip." After getting fuel at the Conoco at 110 N. Broadway, the suspects fled without paying, Kingery said. Nowlin said a male and female suspect were both seen at the gas station.
Montezuma County Sheriff's Deputy Jason Williams pursued the suspects, who were reportedly driving a Toyota 4Runner with Florida license plates, south along U.S. Highway 491, at speeds nearing 100 mph. The deputy reported that the fleeing suspects shot several bursts of gunfire at him, striking his patrol vehicle at least once.
"The deputy's pursuit started at 11:03 a.m.," Kingery said. "Shots were immediately fired through the back window toward the patrol car."
The deputy was uninjured.
As the pursuit continued through three different, congested highway construction zones south of Towaoc, the suspects also reportedly fired at a German couple driving in the opposite direction. They, too, were uninjured.
Driving to work, a Cortez woman said she was scared as she narrowly escaped striking construction barrels as the suspects sped past crews working along the highway.
"Some of the highway workers literally had to jump out of the away to avoid being struck," Kingery said.
After the suspects crossed into New Mexico, about 30 miles south of Cortez, officers from the New Mexico State Patrol, Navajo Nation and Bureau of Indian Affairs joined the pursuit. Dispatch records reveal the chase ended in late morning. The suspects crashed their vehicle into a ditch near a residential area on Bluff Road close to Rattlesnake Wash on the San Juan River.
The FBI was reportedly on the scene, but FBI spokesperson Frank Fischer deferred all questions to the San Juan County Sheriff's Office, saying local officials had jurisdiction.
Nowlin speculated that the pursuit and subsequent deaths involved more than unpaid gasoline.
Durango Herald Staff Writer Ann Butler contributed to this report.
