MEMPHIS, Tenn. — One person is dead and another injured after a police chase led to a crash in Hickory Hill Tuesday afternoon.

MPD Deputy Chief Samuel Hines said it started at 1:17 p.m. with a domestic violence incident in which the occupant of one vehicle was shooting at another vehicle with his ex-girlfriend, a man, and a 4-year-old child inside on Riverdale Road near Shelby Drive.

Officers and Shelby County deputies saw the vehicle near Hickory Hill near Winchester Road and a chase was initiated. The suspect ran through a red light at East Raines and Kirby Parkway, hitting two vehicles, Hines said.

The suspect was taken to Regional One in critical condition and was later pronounced dead.

The occupant of one of the other vehicles that was struck was also taken to Regional One in critical condition. The victim was later upgraded to stable condition.

The woman, child, and man who were initially involved in the alleged domestic violence incident were not injured, Hines said.

Police say a handgun with a switch was found near the suspect’s vehicle.

All of this happened while a conversation about police pursuit policies was happening across town at City Hall. 

Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis said 40 percent of pursuits end in catastrophic accidents like what happened Tuesday. She said that’s why officers and supervisors have to carefully weigh whether an incident is worth the risk.

“I’ve seen too many people lose their lives because of officers pursuing people from running a stop sign, and I mean numerous people lose their lives,” Davis said.

In this case, supervisors on the scene believe it did. 

“This is what we would call a violent fleeing felon, someone who had probably three counts of aggravated assault with those three people in the vehicle, firing shots. So it is absolutely in line with our pursuit policy,” Hines said.

MPD says Tuesday’s incident remains under investigation.