MOUNT VERNON, IL – A Christmas Day shooting in Mount Vernon led to a wrong-way high-speed chase on Interstate 57 and the arrest of the alleged perpetrator, according to the Mount Vernon Police Department.
According to police reports it began around 12:53 a.m. when an officer reportedly observed 20-year-old Maliq I Petties allegedly shooting another individual on South 9th Street. Fleeing the scene in a vehicle, Petties allegedly initiated a chase, reaching speeds near 100 mph and traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of I-57.
The pursuit ended when Petties lost control of his vehicle, colliding with a police car. After a foot chase, during which an officer discharged a firearm without causing injury, Petties was apprehended despite allegedly resisting arrest. Two officers involved in the incident were treated at a local hospital and released. The initial shooting victim received non-life-threatening injuries and was later transferred to a St. Louis area hospital.
An investigation into the incident is underway by Illinois State Police. Petties faces multiple charges and is currently detained at the Jefferson County Justice Center without bond.
