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GLENWOOD, Ill. (CBS) ― The driver of a school bus was shot and killed by police after leading them on a chase in which he rammed several cars before stopping in the Chicago suburb of Glenwood.

CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports that the chase began at about 7:45 a.m. in South Holland and lasted about 45 minutes.

Police say there were several collisions in the chase, including squad cars, police cruisers and civilian-operated vehicles.

The suspect led police from five jurisdictions through several towns to Main Street in downtown Glenwood when the chase came to an end at around 8:30 a.m.

Police held a news conference Friday afternoon to discuss the case.

South Holland Police Chief Warren Millsaps said that the bus driver was a 35-year-old black male, and that he was shot dead by police.

He says the driver was ordered to leave the stopped bus but instead tried to ram officers. He was then shot and killed.

Police also confirmed that there were no students on the school bus at the time of the incident. There was a female employee on the bus, but she was not injured.

Millsaps says two officers received non-life-threatening injuries during the incident.

"Two officers received minor injuries during the event," Millsaps said. "They are not related to the shooting."

First Student Transportation Co. spokeswoman Glenda Lamont said the man entered the South Holland bus lot this morning with "an attitude problem."

"We're not sure why he was acting the way he was, but he was extremely rude to his manager and other employees," Lamont said. "He was told he would not drive a bus this morning."

Millsaps said the driver was threatening other employees.

The driver stormed out of the office and into the bus he usually drives.
 
"When the employees tried to stop him from leaving the business in his bus, he tried to run them over," Millsaps said.

The bus company manager called police and called parents of the special-education students on his route and told them not to put their children on the bus.

The driver, who has worked for First Student since March, usually picks up special-education students for Riverdale District 148.

Police say the officers tried to order the driver to leave the bus but he refused.

"He then pulled the bus to the left, accelerated and tried to strike officers standing in front of the bus again. A that time a South Holland officer fired two shots into the bus, fatally striking the offender and killing him," Millsaps said.

Lamont said there was a bus monitor on the bus when the man drove off, but she was not injured. She said the company will conduct an internal investigation into the matter.

Workers in the Glenwood Oaks Banquet Hall reported hearing a hail of gunfire.

A window in the bus appeared to have been shot or broken out. Witnesses say police then shot the suspect.

Jame Castrefon was at work and saw and heard the aftermath.

"I saw a body on a stretcher with the paramedics dragging him out," Castrefon said.

The owner of Glenwood Oaks restaurant said he was on the roof "doing some weekly maintenance" when he heard the sound of screeching tires.

"I looked down and saw a man standing in a driveway about 10 yards from a school bus and heard the sound of three of four gunshots," said Terry Jarosky. "I didn't see a gun in his hands."

He said two police officers arrived on the scene almost immediately.

"I couldn't believe how fast they arrived," Jarosky said. "Then, I heard a few more shots that I think were fired by the cops. The next thing I know there were like squad cars all over the place. There were lots of police. I mean, lots."

Schools in Riverdale and Glenwood remained open during the incident.

In Glenwood, District 168 Supt. Pam Hollich said earlier the school knew the man involved in the incident was in custody.

"One of our board members is a firefighter/paramedic and told me that the man was in custody," Hollich said. "We knew what was going on the entire time. We would have been on lockdown if he wasn't in custody."

District 148 Supt. Jayne Purcell said her district wasn't on lockdown because "we had no idea anything happened."

"No one told us anything about it," Purcell said.

Purcell said she first heard about the incident from a reporter.

The bus driver's identity has not yet been released.

CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli and the Associated Press and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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