PHOENIX - A man who stole a car at gunpoint, shot at Phoenix police officers and then led them on a chase that ended with his suicide broadcast on national television was identified Saturday as a wanted felon with a long criminal history.
Jodon F. Romero, 33, was wanted for violating his parole for a weapons conviction and had numerous other violent crimes in his background, police spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson said.
At the end of an hour-long pursuit on an interstate west of Phoenix on Friday, Romero pulled into the desert and an officer shot at him, although it appears he missed, Thompson said. Romero then walked off the dirt road, put a gun to his head and killed himself.
Fox News was covering the chase that began about midday Friday using a helicopter video feed from Phoenix affiliate KSAZ-TV. News anchor Shepard Smith told viewers that the video was supposed to have been on a delay.
Fox apologized for showing the violence on air. KSAZ itself was not airing the chase.
Arizona Department of Corrections records show Romero was imprisoned from April 2010 to June 2012 for a felony weapons conviction.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 09/30/2012