Man shoots himself in face before leading police on chase

A suicidal man kidnapped his girlfriend, shot himself in the cheek and ran from

police before crashing into a power pole Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

The 3 p.m. crash knocked out power to more than 800 customers in the area of 10th Avenue and Ahtanum Road and stretched over to the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, one of the responding agencies.

Service was restored quickly to the sheriff’s office, but Pacific Power crews were delayed for several hours in restoring most of the customers because of the crash investigation. All service was back up by 7:20 p.m., officials said.

The incident started about 2:30 p.m., when the sheriff’s office received a report that the 25-year-old suspect had intentionally shot himself in the face near Cook and Stone roads. West Valley firefighters advised he left the scene in a silver Mazda.

A deputy spotted the car, but gave up the chase due to safety reasons as the suspect’s speeds exceeded 100 mph, Sgt. John Durand said.

Deputies got behind the car again on Ahtanum Road. Spikes set up by Union Gap officers at 16th and 26th avenues flattened the tires on the car, but the suspect continued eastbound on Ahtanum.

Durand said the man appeared to intentionally crash the car into the power pole, just east of 10th Avenue and the entrance to the Union Gap Youth Activities Park. The force of the impact spun the car around and planted it in the big bush bordering the park.

The man exited the wreckage on his own and was taken to Yakima Valley

Memorial Hospital for treatment. An

update on his condition was not available Sunday evening.

Sheriff’s deputies said that, prior to shooting himself, the man had abducted his girlfriend from an unspecified business near 72nd Avenue and Tieton Drive. She was able to leave the car at the intersection of Cook and Stone roads.

The abduction call was referrred to Yakima police. More information was not immediately available about that part of the case.