Sheriff: Suspect dies of medical emergency after pursuit

MARION, Va. (AP) — A Virginia sheriff’s office says that a suspect died of an unspecified medical emergency after being taken into custody following a bizarre chase.
The Smyth County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that the case began when it received a call Saturday night about someone driving the wrong way on a road. Another emergency caller said the driver had crashed through the utility gate of a business.
Deputies found the pickup truck but it would not stop for law enforcement and led investigators on a pursuit, according to the news release. Authorities say that during the pursuit, the suspect struck several law enforcement vehicles.
After a law enforcement officer finally forced the vehicle off the road, the news release says that he tried to set fire to his vehicle. The sheriff says officers then forced their way into the vehicle and removed him even though he was being combative.
Once in custody, the man suffered a medical emergency, according to the news release. He was given CPR and taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The news release doesn’t say what the medical emergency was.