Kansas man, wanted for murder, dies after chase in stolen vehicle, police say

A man, wanted for murder, killed himself on Saturday morning after being surrounded by officers following a pursuit in a stolen vehicle, the Hutchinson Police Department said.

The pursuit happened after Lacy D. Nelson, 37, of Hutchinson died at the Hutchinson Regional Medical Center after police responded to a shooting and found her with multiple gunshot wounds.

That shooting was reported 8:19 p.m. Friday in the 800 block of West 4th Avenue in Hutchinson.

Within an hour, a statewide alert was sent out for officers to be on the lookout for Curtis E. Richardson, a person wanted on suspicion of first-degree murder in the killing of Nelson, the HPD said in a news release Saturday.

Around 7 a.m. Saturday, the Pratt County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call in Preston about a female saying a male forced his way inter her home and stole her vehicle.

A responding deputy spotted the stolen vehicle on K-61 in Pratt County.

“The deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop; however, the driver, later identified as Mr. Richardson, refused to stop, and a vehicle pursuit ensued,” the HPD said. “During the pursuit, the stolen vehicle left the roadway and drove into a field near NE 30th Avenue and NE 20th Street in Pratt County, where it became stuck.”

SWAT was called in. Negotiations and commands to exit the vehicle were unsuccessful, HPD said.

“While he remained inside the vehicle, less-lethal tactics were deployed in an effort to gain compliance,” HPD said. “Mr. Richardson was later located inside the vehicle with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

EMS took him to the Pratt Regional Medical Center, where he died from his injuries, HPD said.