Tatiana David had last been seen in Ithaca in Tompkins County at around 7:20 a.m. Wednesday, April 5, her 34th birthday.
According to New York State Police, a witness told investigators David had been abducted by her child’s father, 34-year-old Michael Davis, of Richmond, Virginia.
Davis reportedly forced the woman into a white SUV before driving south to Virginia, triggering a statewide alert for an endangered adult.
At around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday, a Virginia State Police trooper attempted to stop Davis’ SUV on I-95 in Fairfax County after noticing that the wrong license plates were displayed on the vehicle.
Davis refused to stop and sped away from the trooper, according to police. He crashed into a guardrail before continuing south on I-95 into Prince William County.
The SUV eventually ran off the road and crashed into a wooded area. As troopers approached the vehicle, Davis opened fire on them, forcing troopers to return fire, police said.
Both Davis and David were injured in the shootout, with David later being pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Troopers found her body outside of the vehicle.
It was not immediately clear whether she was shot by police or Davis. An official cause of deathis pending results from an autopsy, which was expected to be conducted on Thursday, April 6, police said.
Davis was flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.
No Virginia State Police troopers were injured.
The incident is under investigation by the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Fairfax Field Office.
According to investigators, David was previously in a relationship with the suspect and they have a four-year-old child together.
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