A suspect in a stolen vehicle case out of Lumpkin County died Thursday after he shot himself in a wooded area off Hubert Stephens Road in North Hall County.
According to Hall County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer B.J. Williams, the incident unfolded just before noon.
A Hall County deputy saw a stolen SUV near Murrayville Park late Thursday morning and began to follow it. The deputy lost track of the vehicle but eventually found it abandoned at the end of Old Howser Mill. The deputy called additional deputies and a K9 unit to the scene.
The K9 officer began tracking the suspect, Michael Lee Adams, 43, down an ATV trail next to a river. However, Adams shot himself in the head just as the K9 team approached.
A deputy rendered aid to Adams while another deputy called 911. Hall County Fire Rescue medics performed life-saving efforts but Adams later died at the hospital. Williams said they were unsure where Adams lived most recently, but he had previous connections to both Ellijay and Cumming.
A portion of Hubert Stephens Road was closed for about three hours to allow for rescue efforts.
