PALESTINE, Texas — A juvenile was arrested in Palestine last week after police say a vehicle pursuit led to officers discovering the underage driver and passengers planned to shoot up a house.
According to the Palestine Police Department, just before 10:45 p.m. last Friday, officer Isaiah Pettigrew initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 1200 block of West Oak Street, but the driver did not stop.
The car fled, ran a stop sign, reached speeds of about 90 mph and failed to maintain its lane of travel, police said. After losing sight of the vehicle, Pettigrew found the car in the parking lot of the Parkview apartment complex, where several people ran out of the vehicle.
Once officers reviewed the vehicle, they located a black shotgun in the backseat and later found two people who fled from the vehicle earlier. Other officers then found the 16-year-old driver, who ran into a nearby apartment to hide.
Through interviews, officers discovered that before the attempted traffic stop, the passengers stopped to get the shotgun from a residence. Police said the passengers said they had discussed shooting up a house, where someone who owned them money lived.
The juvenile was taken into custody and moved to an out of county juvenile detention facility.
The investigation remains ongoing and additional charges are pending. Police have withheld identities because those involved are juveniles.
“Because of Officer Pettigrew being observant and proactive, he likely prevented a terrible situation and the potential loss of life.” Palestine Police Chief Mark Harcrow said. “All of the officers did a great job in the case, and I commend them for their hard work.”
