Man Dies by Suicide in Delaware State Police Custody After High-Speed Chase
State of DE - A Hartly man died by suicide inside a Delaware State Police holding cell Wednesday evening, just hours after leading troopers on a multistate pursuit and assaulting a police dog during his arrest.
The Delaware State Police and the Delaware Department of Justice are now jointly investigating the in-custody death, which occurred at Troop 3 in Camden.
The incident began around 8:00 p.m. on May 27, 2026, when troopers were called to a residence on Misty Way in Hartly, DE for a domestic assault report. Before they arrived, dispatchers notified them that the suspect, 49-year-old Shane Mullen, had already left in his girlfriend's vehicle.
Mullen had an active felony domestic warrant from a prior incident at the same address on May 22, 2026. Troopers also learned he had allegedly just physically assaulted his girlfriend before fleeing.
While troopers searched the area, the Delaware State Police Aviation Unit located the vehicle and a pursuit began. The chase crossed into Maryland and eventually returned to Delaware, ending back at the Misty Way residence.
Mullen refused to get out of the vehicle at first. When he finally did, he refused to comply with troopers' orders. A DSP canine was deployed, and Mullen assaulted the dog before troopers were finally able to take him into custody.
He was transported to a hospital for evaluation of injuries from the canine and was later released. From there, he was taken to Troop 3 to face multiple charges.
Charges related to the May 27 incident included 5th Offense Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (Felony), Resisting Arrest with Force or Violence (Felony), Disregarding a Police Officer Signal (Felony), Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, Assault Second Degree on a Law Enforcement Animal, Offensive Touching, two counts of Breach of Release, and traffic charges.
He also faced charges from the May 22 incident, including Strangulation (Felony), Assault Third Degree, and Breach of Release.
Video surveillance confirmed that while alone in a temporary holding cell at Troop 3, Mullen used a shoelace to hang himself. Troopers found him and attempted lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Because of the nature of the incident, the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit and the Delaware Department of Justice's Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust took over the investigation. Once that investigation is complete, the Delaware State Police's Office of Professional Responsibility will conduct its own review.
Disclosure: All individuals mentioned in this article are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Eastern Shore Undercover® does not express or imply any opinion regarding the incident reported.
