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Oklahoma Fugitive Takes His Own Life Following Police Chase

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The Oklahoma Department of Corrections says a man on probation who disappeared after disabling his monitoring device has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a police chase through rural Pontotoc County.

Corrections spokeswoman Terri Watkins says 42-year-old Johnnie Lewis Hawkins II apparently shot himself in the head Friday after authorities disabled the stolen vehicle he was driving.

Prison records indicate Hawkins was on probation for concealing stolen property and other charges. Watkins says he cut off his GPS ankle monitoring device and went missing Tuesday.

Watkins says Hawkins allegedly stole a vehicle earlier Friday. The owners notified police, who disabled it using the vehicle's OnStar safety system. Deputies who approached the vehicle heard a gunshot and later found Hawkins dead inside.

No law enforcement personnel or citizens were injured.

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