Feb. 15 (UPI) -- What started as a police chase through San Jose, Calif., quickly escalated to a hostage situation, as a package delivery driver was held at gunpoint, authorities said.
Police used spike strips to disable the hijacked UPS truck and surrounded it, later killing the male suspect as he fled the scene. A female suspect was arrested. The UPS driver was not hurt. The dead suspect was identified as Mark Morasky.
Authorities said the standoff began when the suspects led officers on a chase late Thursday afternoon. Officials said they'd fired shots at police, took off and carjacked a UPS truck and its driver.
Spike strips shredded the truck's tires near a busy intersection, prompting police to lock down area businesses and close major roads in the Bay Area city.
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"We were just told to hunker down until the time came," Marilyn Jansen told KPIX-TV.
An hour into the ordeal, the UPS driver was released. For nearly 90 minutes, the suspect was seen making hand signals and talking on his cellphone. At times, he held a rifle to his head and at one point tried to flee in the large delivery truck but was boxed in by police.
"He was scared," Amanda Bazzani, an acquaintance of Morasky's, told KNTV-TV. "He called me and said 'I love you. I'm in a standoff.'"
Police said Morasky eventually made a break for it in a nearby parking lot, where officers shot him. He died of his injuries. The female suspect surrendered. No officers were hurt.
"UPS is grateful that our driver was released and we're thankful to local police who responded to the situation," UPS spokesman Kyle Peterson said in a statement. "The safety of our people is our top priority. We are assisting local authorities as we can."
