MT VERNON, IL – Early Christmas morning turned chaotic when Maliq I Petties, 20, was arrested after a high-speed pursuit and a shooting incident in Mt Vernon.
At approximately 12:53 AM on December 25, a Mt Vernon police officer patrolling the 300 block of South 9th Street witnessed Petties discharging a firearm at another individual. When the officer attempted to intervene, Petties fled the scene in his vehicle, initiating a chase.
The pursuit escalated rapidly, with speeds reaching nearly 100 miles per hour on Broadway. Petties then drove north in the southbound lanes of Interstate 57, starting from Illinois 15. The chase took a dramatic turn just south of the north split when Petties lost control of his vehicle, colliding with a Mt Vernon squad car, resulting in moderate damage to both vehicles.
Petties continued his escape attempt on foot. During the pursuit, Petties reached into his waistband, prompting an officer to discharge their firearm. Fortunately, the shot did not hit anyone. Officers eventually apprehended Petties, who resisted arrest.
A firearm was recovered at the scene. Two officers involved in the incident required hospitalization but were later released after treatment. The initial shooting victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and received care at a local hospital before being transferred to a St. Louis area hospital for further treatment.
The Illinois State Police have been called in to investigate both the officer’s discharge of their firearm and the traffic accident, as per protocol for officer-involved shooting incidents and state law requirements.