Video: Suspect's Gunfire Hits Cruisers, Narrowly Misses Ky. Police Officer, Deputy During Chase

Recently released dashboard camera footage captured a Kentucky police cruiser being struck by gunfire during a chase last month 

A Paducah Police Department vehicle was hit by gunfire Nov. 7 during a McCracken County Sheriff’s Office pursuit, according to investigators.

The incident began shortly after 8 p.m. Nov. 7 when a Marshall County sheriff’s deputy spotted a pickup truck towing a camper traveling in a reckless manner with a flat tire, the Kentucky State Police said in a news release. The deputy tried to pull over the pickup in Paducah, but the truck didn't stop, and the camper disconnected as the vehicle continued fleeing from the pursuing deputy.

The chase was joined by McCracken County sheriff's deputies and Paducah police. That's when the driver—later identified as Robert Wray, 26—began opening fire.

A round struck the rear passenger window of a cruiser of a Paducah police sergeant who was deploying stop sticks, the department stated in a news release. The bullet missed the officer by only a few feet.

Other shots struck a McCracken County deputy's cruiser as Wray sped by. The cruiser was struck at least twice, with one of the rounds hitting a back door and narrowly missing the deputy, according to the agency. 

The pursuit finally ended when authorities executed a PIT maneuver, sending the pickup into a residence on Lone Oak Road. Wray was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and he was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the state police.

Following the collision, the operator of the vehicle was found to have suffered a gunshot wound, which at this time appears to have been self-inflicted.

No deputies or officers were injured in the chase, which is still under investigation.

“I am very proud of how our deputies and the officers of the Paducah Police responded that night,” McCracken County Sheriff Ryan Norman said in a statement in the dashcam footage. “Their actions showed true professionalism, bravery, and dedication to the community they serve.”