Fox News apologises for showing live suicide

A man apparently shot himself in the head on live television at the end of a high-speed chase that began in Phoenix, Arizona.

Fox News was covering the chase that began at noon yesterday, using a live helicopter feed, when the man stopped the vehicle he was driving, ran off the road and appeared to place a handgun to his head and fire.

Fox News presenter Shepard Smith shouted, "Get off! Get off!" at colleagues before the channel switched to a commercial break. When the programme resumed a few minutes later, Smith told viewers that the video was supposed to be on a time delay.

"While we were taking that car chase and showing it to you live, when the guy pulled over and got out of the vehicle, we went on delay," he explained. "We created a five-second delay so that we would see in the studio what was happening before you did, so if anything went horribly wrong we were able to cut away from it.

"We really messed up, and we're all very sorry. That didn't belong on television. I personally apologise to you that that happened."

Phoenix police said the high-speed chase may have started with a carjacking. Officers confirmed last night that the suspect had died from his wounds.

Reuters