PRINCESS ANNE, Md.- Authorities say a police pursuit Friday night ended with a driver taking his life and a Maryland state trooper sustaining minor injuries in Somerset County.
According to Maryland State Police, a state trooper assigned to the Princess Anne Barrack was patrolling in an unmarked patrol car on West Post Office Road near Beechwood Street in Princess Anne at about 8:30 p.m., when he observed a 1998 Ford car in which the passenger was not wearing a seat belt. MSP said the trooper subsequently activated his emergency equipment and attempted to stop the car but the driver, later identified as Alvin D. Melvin, 45, of Princess Anne, refused to stop and accelerated away.
Police said this prompted a pursuit through Princess Anne, which was joined by Trooper First Class D. Tebbins, a K-9 trooper with the Princess Anne Barrack, along with two patrol cars from the Princess Anne Police Department.
MSP said that as the pursuit continued onto northbound Route 13, Tebbins assumed the lead car position among the pursuing police officers.
According to police, Tebbins was traveling in the fast lane of Route 13 when the trooper attempted to pull alongside Melvin's car, which was traveling in the slow lane. MSP said Melvin then swerved his car into the patrol car, causing Tebbins to lose control, travel into the median, strike several trees, overturn and catch fire.
MSP said a Princess Anne police officer immediately stopped and assisted both Tebbins and his dog out of the burning patrol car.
Police said Melvin lost control of his car after ramming the police vehicle and crashed into a ditch on the slow shoulder of Route 13, south of Loretto Road. According to MSP, a trooper and Princess Anne officers stopped behind Melvin's car and implemented felony stop procedures, which include staying at their cars while giving verbal commands to the occupants of the suspect vehicle.
Police said the passenger immediately exited the vehicle and complied with police directions, while the driver, Melvin, failed to get out of the car and refused to comply with directions from police. MSP said officers continued to give commands to the driver, at which time they heard what sounded like a gunshot from Melvin's vehicle. According to MSP, the police on scene then observed Melvin no longer appeared to be moving.
MSP said police subsequently approached the car and saw Melvin had sustained what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head with a .40 caliber pistol was in his lap. Police said emergency care was provided and EMS units were summoned. According to a release, Melvin was pronounced dead at the scene. His body has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy.
According to MSP, Tebbins was transported to the Peninsula Regional Medical Center where he was treated and later released. His dog was taken to an emergency veterinarian center as a precaution, where he was also treated and released.
MSP said the car Melvin was driving is registered to his wife and that a search of the vehicle will be conducted after a search warrant is obtained. According to police, the gun in Melvin's possession is not reported stolen and investigators are researching its origin.
MSP identified the passenger in Melvin's car as a 16-year-old Somerset County boy and said he was not charged and was released to the custody of his parents.
According to MSP, a motive for Melvin's actions is not known at this time.
