Dec. 19, 2006 — A man mistakenly released from custody died in a gunfight Monday after leading authorities on a high-speed chase when they tried to return him to jail.
Abawalda Petersen, 22, led Superior Court marshals on a chase from Tutu Park Mall to Hospital Ground on Monday morning, ending with his fatal shooting. The chase began when marshals attempted to serve a court order that would have returned Petersen to jail.
"He eluded the marshals and fled in a vehicle, during which time there was an exchange of gunfire," said Shawna Richards, a police spokeswoman, on Monday afternoon.
Officers discovered Petersen deep in a gutter on a hillside overlooking Hospital Ground. Law-enforcement officers and St. Thomas Rescue volunteers followed a trail of blood from the main road, using a machete to cut through the thick brush where Petersen died.
The marshals sought Petersen based on a court order to return him to jail after the Bureau of Corrections mistakenly released him, Richards said.
According to court records, Petersen entered a guilty plea in two cases before Superior Court in August. Charges against Petersen stemmed from a May 5 incident involving a family member, including domestic violence, assault, child abuse and use of a dangerous weapon in the commission of a crime. In a separate case, Petersen allegedly used a rock to injure a teenage boy on June 2.
The VIPD Major Crime Unit was called in to investigate the fatal shooting, Richards said. The Superior Court on Monday did not comment on the shooting, nor did it identify the marshal involved.
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