Police Chase Closes U.S.-Canada Border

A high-speed chase that ended in gunfire closed the U.S.-Canadian border crossing near here for hours, authorities said. Two men sought in a California homicide were arrested after one of them was shot and wounded.

The crossing is one of the busiest on the U.S. northern border. Traffic was diverted to another crossing about a mile to the east as police investigated.

Earlier, the Whatcom County sheriff's office had received a tip that two men sought in the California case could be headed to the area, Sheriff Bill Elfo said.

A car carrying two men matching the description was seen about six miles south of the border on Interstate 5. When a sheriff's deputy tried to stop the car, the occupants sped off, reaching speeds of 100 mph, Elfo said.

The men were eventually stopped by a sheriff's officer who rammed their car with his vehicle, Elfo said. The men tried to flee on foot, and shots were fired and one of the men was wounded, the sheriff said.

His medical condition was not immediately available.

Authorities in Richmond, California, were working to have the suspects extradited. Both were sought in the Saturday shooting death of a 43-year-old man there.