Suspect wanted in Jacksonville death shoots self

Texas chase ends in fatal shot

A man wanted for murder in Jacksonville was dead Thursday after leading Texas police on a vehicle chase a day earlier that ended with the suspect shooting himself in the head, according to police news releases.

About 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, a Franklin, Texas, officer pulled over Demarcus King Jr., 18, of Jacksonville, who was allegedly speeding, according to a release from Franklin police.

Jacksonville police on Monday obtained warrants for King, who was wanted in connection to the March 28 shooting of Anthony Cousette, 39, in Jacksonville’s Johnson Park off of Goshen Street, according to a release from Jacksonville police.

King had not been publicly identified until Wednesday evening when news of the chase in Texas came out. He was due to be charged with capital murder and discharge of a firearm from a vehicle.

During the traffic stop, King reportedly gave a fake name and then fled while the officer was running a records check.

It was not immediately clear how far police pursued King, but he eventually lost control of his vehicle and ran off the road near Benchley, Texas, near Texas Highway 6.

King reportedly immediately exited the vehicle and shot himself in the head with a pistol. He was taken by helicopter to a local hospital where he died of his wound, Franklin police Chief Terry Thibodeaux said.

A female passenger in the vehicle was uninjured, and she was detained, questioned and then released by Franklin police.

The investigation into Cousette’s death is ongoing, the release from Jacksonville police states.