Lee County domestic violence call ends with suicide

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office says a domestic violence call has ended with the suspect’s suicide.

The sheriff’s office says just before 7PM last night, they got a 911 call about a domestic violence incident involving a suspect who was trying to set a vehicle on fire.

When deputies arrived in the 100 block of Lee County Road 831 in the Salem community about 10 minutes later, they says they saw the suspect’s vehicle leaving the scene.  Deputies tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver kept going.

A chase continued on Lee County Road 241 in Salem until the driver came to a stop at the intersection of Lee County Road 241 and Lee County Road 240 where deputies were waiting.

The sheriff’s office says the driver then shot himself while seated in the vehicle. Deputies tried life saving measures without success. They say the man was from Phenix City.

Deputies say the domestic violence incident involved the man and his wife that started at their home.

Opelika Police Department was contacted to assist in the investigation. It is standard procedure for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office to contact an outside agency to investigate a case whenever a gun has been fired in the presence of deputies, the sheriff’s office said.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at (334) 215-STOP.