The family of a 36-year-old man who was fatally shot by a police officer on Tuesday says the suspect may have fled out of desperation.

Miguel Espinal was killed after a police chase from the Bronx into Westchester. Police say officers were on patrol when they spotted a Nissan sedan driving recklessly. They say they tried to stop the car, but that Espinal refused to pull over.

Officers say that Espinal then ran off into the woods, and a struggle occurred when the pursuing officers attempted to take him into custody. They say one officer's firearm was discharged and Espinal was shot.

Espinal's family says that he ran because he was scared.

"He told me every single time if a cop was to stop him ... he's not going to stop for a cop," says his sister Ana Mercedes Julbe.

They say the suspect was driving without a license and had a criminal record.