A Tuesday morning police chase ended inside a cemetery in West Tuscaloosa after a woman accused of shoplifting at the Walmart in Northport fled officers trying to stop her there.

Keith Carpenter, the assistant chief of the Northport Police Department, said officers were made aware of possible shoplifting at the "big" Walmart at 5710 McFarland Boulevard, not the Neighborhood Market off Highway 69 North.

Officers tried to stop the 62-year-old suspect, but she refused to pull over and began to lead a convoy of local law enforcement officers on a slow but long pursuit throughout Northport and West Tuscaloosa.

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Carpenter said the woman first fled west down 82 toward the toll bridge before cutting south and using Northport's Main Avenue to drive back east.

She ultimately got on the Hugh Thomas Bridge and drove south into Tuscaloosa before reportedly cutting west on 9th Street and heading into the West End.

The driver reportedly drove into West Highland Cemetery, across 21st Avenue from the New Heights Community Center.

After allegedly driving into the grass and over some graves there, the driver was finally taken into police custody.

The chase was lengthy, Carpenter said, and it drew assistance from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office and the Police Department, but he also said the suspect never drove much higher than 50 miles per hour -- she just refused to pull over.

So far, the woman has only been charged with misdemeanor attempting to elude police, and it is the general policy of the Tuscaloosa Thread to only identify suspects accused of felony charges by name,

If additional charges are added in relation to the alleged shoplifting or possible damage to the cemetery, this story will be updated.

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