WESTON, W.Va. — An armed robbery in Lewis County Friday morning turned into a high speed chase and ultimately a shootout which left the robbery suspect dead.
Lewis County Sheriff Dave Gosa told MetroNews it started around 10 a.m. when the suspect robbed the Hot Spot in Weston at gunpoint.
As he fled the scene, Weston Police began chasing the suspect up U.S. Route 19 to Jane Lew. During the chase the suspect rammed the Weston Police cruiser, Gosa said.
Lewis County deputies, state police and state DNR police all joined the chase which went through Jane Lew, down several back roads and wound up on Old Route 33 behind the Walmart in Weston.
“My chief deputy threw out stop sticks and caused the man to wreck, he got out and fled on foot,” Gosa said.
The suspect ran into a nearby backyard and tried to take a man hostage who was on a riding lawnmower. However, according to Gosa, the man on the lawnmower fought off the attacker and threw him to the ground, then got away from him as police were closing in.
“That individual pushed the subject to the ground, he raised up and tried to shoot our officers and that’s when all of our officers commenced firing on him,” said Gosa.
The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, was killed in the incident. According to Gosa, none of the officers involved in the incident were hurt. The victim on the lawnmower was also uninjured.
An investigation is underway.