Chicago police believe a man who fled a traffic stop on Chicago's Northwest Side took his own life following a confrontation with authorities Thursday afternoon.
According to police, officers attempted to perform a traffic stop in the 6000 block of West Wellington just before 1 p.m., and an occupant of the vehicle exited the car and "began exhibiting characteristics of an armed person."
Shortly after the man got out of the car, a foot pursuit followed, and officers say the man pulled out a weapon, which caused one of the pursuing officers to fire shots at him.
The man suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and was taken to Resurrection Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
According to a preliminary investigation, police believe that the man shot himself in the head during the chase. It is unclear whether the officer who fired shots at the man actually struck him.
Chicago police have asked the Cook County Medical Examiner to respond to the scene to do an analysis, and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability has also been asked to conduct an independent review of the incident.
