Two suspects are dead, and two officers are on leave after a chase and shooting in Anderson County Wednesday afternoon.
It all started at a Lake City gas station when the suspects allegedly drove off without paying for the gas, Sheriff Paul White said.
Officials did a search on the licence plate and learned the pickup truck the two suspects were driving was reported stolen from Indiana. Officials issued a BOLO, or Be On The Lookout, for the vehicle.
An Anderson County deputy spotted the vehicle around 1 p.m. on Raccoon Valley Road and tried to stop it. The suspects kept driving, according to the sheriff, with the deputy in pursuit.
Another deputy, who was off-duty at the time, saw what was happening and joined in the chase.
The pursuit continued on Edgemoor Road, to Old Emory Road, with the suspects shooting at the officers, according to the sheriff.
Then, the pickup truck blew a tire, and the suspects drove into a ditch at the intersection of Blockhouse Valley Road, right in front of the Claxton Volunteer Fire Dept. Station 2.
The shooting continued outside of the vehicle, and both suspects were hit.
The woman died at the scene. The man later died at the hospital. A weapon was found in the truck.
The sheriff says one deputy initially thought he had been struck, but it appears both are uninjured, but shaken.
"It's emotional for the officer, and we do have things in place to help those officers, counseling and stuff like that, and they will be receiving that," Sheriff White said.
The officers are both on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is standard procedure.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is handling the case.