Illinois chase ends in Missouri with Florida man in custody

Standard-Democrat

BERTRAND, Mo. -- A Florida man is in custody after a chase that began in Illinois and ended in Missouri at around 6 a.m. Friday.

According to authorities, the incident began in Williamson County, Ill., when Richard Alan Perman, 46, of Orlando, Fla., stopped at a Marion, Ill., gas station. Perman reportedly told the attendant that he was on his way to shoot some people at a college.

A few minutes later, police said, Perman attempted to run into a Marion police car with his sport utility vehicle. He refused to stop for police officers, starting the pursuit.

Perman fled north on Interstate 57 to Benton, Ill., where he turned around and traveled south in the northbound lane for a short time, continuing southbound to around the post 35 of I-57 where he turned around again. He then drove to West Frankfort, exited the interstate, returned to the interstate and after several other turnarounds continued south past Charleston, Mo., to the Bertrand area after several attempts to disable the vehicle in Illinois failed.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol placed tire deflation devices at two spots on I-57, one of which slowed the vehicle.

Police say Perman then jumped from his vehicle while it was going about 30 mph.

Sgt. Larry Plunkett of the highway patrol said Perman was injured and was being treated at an area hospital.

According to the Williamson County Sheriff's Department, before the chase began, Perman left his family at a gas station in Mount Vernon, Ill., after driving off with the pump hose still attached to his vehicle.