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Police chase ends with standoff, 2 deaths; Part of I-35 shut down

Posted at 6:45 AM, Jun 03, 2015
and last updated 2015-06-03 07:50:00-04

Two brothers are dead after stealing an Italy police car and leading police on a chase in Ellis County overnight Tuesday.

According to DPS, an Italy police officer pulled the pair over about 10 p.m. on I-35 in Italy, which is about 20 miles north of Hillsboro. The officer was attempting to take the two into custody, when police report they assaulted the officer and took off in his cruiser.

The suspects made it 15 miles north of Italy, to Forreston. Police used spike strips to force the car to stop.

From there, all lanes of I-35 in the area were shut down while negotiators tried to get the suspects to give themselves up.

Ellis County deputies negotiated with the suspects for two hours. Officers say they were suicidal the entire time.

DPS says officers heard a gunshot from the vehicle and saw the driver get out with a firearm. The driver was shot by police and the second suspect was found dead inside the car.

All lanes of I-35, from Italy to Forreston, are expected to be closed until 10:30 a.m. while police continue to investigate and clear the crime scene.