LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville Metro Police say their deadly car chase has ended one of the largest robbery cases in the city’s history.

Louisville detectives have accused 43-year-old Robert Thornton and 40-year-old Kevin Sneed of at least 56 robberies during the last 8 years. Always armed and wearing masks, police say Thornton and Sneed pistol-whipped many victims and some employees were hospitalized.

WAVE-TV reports police began the chase late Sunday after they say the pair robbed a Wendy’s. It ended with a police cruiser in the Ohio River. Thornton gave himself up and was arrested. Sneed was shot and killed by officers.

Police say they found a gun and a ski mask with Thornton. He is charged with 47 of those robberies and one count of fleeing and evading police.

Lt. Jim Mueller, commander of the LMPD Robbery Unit, says the investigation was slow until 2008 when “the robberies increased greatly."

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