A TV channel has apologised for broadcasting live footage of a man shooting himself in the head at the end of a high-speed carjacking chase.

The police chase began in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday, and ended about 90 minutes later within 80 miles of the California border.

Fox News was covering the chase that began about midday using a live helicopter shot from Phoenix affiliate KSAZ-TV. The man, driving a copper-coloured four-door saloon, stopped, raninto the desert and placed a handgun to his head and fired.

The man was declared dead at the scene, said Sgt Tommy Thompson, a Phoenix police spokesman.

Fox News anchor Shepard Smith told viewers that the video was supposed to be on a 10-second delay so it could be cut off from airing if something went awry. “We really messed up, and we’re all very sorry,” Smith said.

Fox apologised for showing the violence on air.

“We took every precaution to avoid any such live incident by putting the helicopter pictures on a five-second delay,” said Michael Clemente, executive vice-president of news editorial.

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