PHOENIX (AP) -- A man apparently shot himself in the head Friday on live national television at the end of a high-speed chase that began in Phoenix.
Fox
News was covering the chase that began at midday using a live
helicopter shot from Phoenix affiliate KSAZ-TV when the man driving what
appeared to be a crossover sedan stopped, ran into the desert and
appeared to place a handgun to his head and fire.
Fox
News anchor Shepard Smith told viewers minutes later that the video was
supposed to be on a 10-second delay so it could be cut off from airing
if something went awry.
"We really messed up, and we're all very sorry," Smith said.
It wasn't immediately clear if the man survived.
More
frequently than its rivals, Fox News Channel picks up car chases from
its local affiliates and airs them live. It's gripping television, a
live mystery with no clear resolution, and often provides a short-term
ratings boost as viewers tune in to see how it ends. Critics say the
chases themselves rarely rise to the level of national news. The Phoenix
station was not airing the chase live when it ended.
The
network usually has a five-second delay so producers can quickly get
the footage off the air if something graphic happens. Fox had no
immediate explanation for why it wasn't used this time. A spokeswoman
said Friday afternoon Fox did not have an immediate comment.
The
chase may have started with a carjacking near central Phoenix, but
other than that, police spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson was unable to
immediately provide details.
The man headed
west on Interstate 10, driving very fast for more than a half hour. Fox
returned repeatedly to shots showing the copper-colored four-door sedan
passing big-rig trucks that typically travel at about 70 mph as if they
were standing still.
Police cars did not appear to be immediately behind the car during most of the chase.
The
driver finally got off the highway about 100 miles west of Phoenix near
the small community of Salome and turned onto a dirt road. He drove for
a while, briefly pulled onto a paved road and then turned onto another
dirt road and stopped.
Shepard Smith was
narrating the video and clearly had his doubts about what was being
shown from the moment the man stopped the car. "This scares me," he
said.
"You wait for the end of these things
and you worry about how they may end up," he said. "This makes me a
little nervous, I got to tell you. A little nervous."
The video showed the man running erratically in a field before putting the gun to his head and firing. He fell to the ground.
Fox's picture quickly cut to Smith, who was shouting "get off, get off, get off, get off."
After the commercial break, Smith apologized repeatedly.
"That
should not have been on TV. I personally apologize to you," Smith said.
"That was wrong and it won't happen again on my watch and I'm sorry."
