A 20-year-old man died after suffering an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound during a foot chase involving police in DeKalb County, Georgia.
Vermontay Burch, of Stone Mountain, was pursued by a DeKalb County police officer early on Sunday after officers received a report of an armed carjacking at about 4.51am.
The officer later spotted a vehicle matching the description of the car involved near Lancashire Circle. Investigators said Burch got out and ran when the officer approached.
The pursuit continued into a nearby apartment complex close to the 400 building on Eagle Springs Way. During the chase, the officer deployed a Taser and struck Burch.
The officer then heard a gunshot and found Burch on the ground with an apparent self-inflicted wound. Emergency responders treated him at the scene, but he later died.
Authorities have not established whether the shot was fired before or after the Taser took effect. They have also not said whether anyone else was in the vehicle linked to the initial carjacking report.
Burch’s body was taken to the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is carrying out an independent review of the use-of-force incident. Its findings will be passed to the DeKalb Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office when the investigation is complete.
