Hill.jpg

Jhamiel Hill is shown in his booking photo in early 2014 and a prison photo in November 2014.

(Courtesy of WCSO, MDOC)

A 19-year-old who killed himself during a police chase earlier this month was worried he would go back to prison, police said.

Jhamiel Hill, 19, was found in his vehicle with a single fatal gunshot wound early Dec. 5 in the area of Clark and LeForge roads in the Ypsilanti area.

He was on parole after serving time for two counts of second-degree home invasion, two counts of larceny of a firearm and assaulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer in Washtenaw County, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.

The first four charges stemmed from a 2014 home invasion in which he and another teen, both Ypsilanti High School students at the time, stole guns from Ypsilanti Township Trustee Scott Martin's home while they were supposed to be in school.

Police said the two took the guns, a Kindle, a township-issued iPad 4, jewelry and rare coins with the intention of selling the items.

They believe the items, including the guns, were taken into the school.

Ypsilanti police Lt. Deric Gress said Hill was listed on parole out of Kalamazoo, where he had moved, at the time of the pursuit Dec. 5.

Beyond his prison sentences, Hill was also facing a new charge at the time of his death. A complaint for receiving and concealing a stolen vehicle for an incident Oct. 12 was entered against Hill on Nov. 23.

The police chase began with a reported hit-and-run crash with another vehicle at 12:15 a.m. in the 700 block of Green Road in Ypsilanti, according to the Ypsilanti Police Department.

A description of the suspect vehicle, a red 2008 Ford Taurus, was broadcast on police radio. A vehicle matching the description was then located in the area of Michigan Avenue and Hamilton Street, but continued on when police attempted to make a stop.

After a police chase through the city and Ypsilanti Township, police officers found the driver dead with a 9mm handgun in the vehicle.

The man's 19-year-old Ypsilanti Township girlfriend, who was in the car at the time, told police that Hill did not want to stop because he didn't want to go back to prison.

"He then shot himself, and she had to get the vehicle stopped from her passenger seat," Gress said.

Although neighbors at the time reported seeing a woman being taken away from the scene in handcuffs, Gress said the girlfriend will not face charges in the incident.

Those experiencing thoughts of suicide can get help from:

The 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Military veterans press #1.

The Ozone House, a 24-hour hotline for youth, at 734-662-2222.

The 24-hour hotline at University of Michigan Psychiatric Emergency Services at 734-936-5900.

Darcie Moran covers cops and courts for MLive and The Ann Arbor News. Email her at dmoran@mlive.com or follow her on Twitter @darciegmoran.