A 17-year-old from California faces nine charges, including drunken driving, after leading city, county and state police on a wild chase Friday morning, nearly hitting a line of shoppers outside the Markland Mall.

No one was injured in the high-speed pursuit, but four Kokomo Police Department squad cars, including one of the recently purchased Dodge Chargers, and a Howard County Sheriff Department car were damaged during the ordeal, Kokomo Police Lt. Don Whitehead said.

Police arrested the driver, along with a passenger, Trent M. Black, 21, Kokomo, on multiple charges after the chase. The driver’s name was not released because he is a juvenile.

The bizarre chase started shortly after 2:30 a.m. Friday when Kokomo police Sgt. Mark Miller said he saw a blue Suzuki SUV with no taillights or brake lights run a stoplight at Union and Superior streets.

With Miller in pursuit, the SUV then ran several more stoplights as it continued northbound at a high rate of speed. Miller was able to catch up to the vehicle and initiate a traffic stop at Broadway and Washington Street. But as Miller approached the vehicle and advised the driver he had no rear lights, the driver sped off northbound on Washington Street.

By that time, several other officers had joined in the chase, which continued north, west, then south. At one point, the driver traveled the wrong way on U.S. 31 after avoiding stop sticks near Carter Street.

The vehicle had lost a tire earlier in the pursuit and was traveling on the bare rim when the driver lost control traveling into the McDonald’s parking lot next to the Markland Mall, nearly striking several vehicles. The vehicle then entered the Markland Mall parking lot, where hundreds of shoppers were waiting in line for the stores to open. Pursuing officers backed off at that point so as to not endanger the bystanders, said Whitehead.

“The officers had no idea what the person was doing and had to make a decision to continue the pursuit or call it off,” the detective said. “It’s a tough decision when there are that many people around. This is truly a good example of a decision made right. I thought they did they right thing.”

As the vehicle traveled around the parking lot, the driver intentionally rammed a police car head on as well as several parked cars. At that point, the vehicle was headed back toward the lines of shoppers and was struck twice by Officer Jason Burton in an effort to prevent the SUV from endangering more shoppers.

The maneuver forced the vehicle into the ditch between the parking lot of the Markland Mall and U.S. 31. Despite having a blown tire, the driver was able to get back onto the highway and continue southbound. The pursuit ended nearby at Meadowbrook and Belvedere drives, where the vehicle was forced into a tree and pinned by other pursuing officers.

The teen, who has a lengthy criminal history in California, with Black, was staying in a local motel with the juvenile’s father and reportedly stole the SUV while the father slept. The father discovered the vehicle missing when his wife was contacted at their home in Valparaiso by Kokomo police asking about the vehicle.

The juvenile is being held at the Robert J. Kinsey Youth Center on felony charges of attempted aggravated battery, attempted criminal recklessness and possession of a controlled substance, resisting law enforcement, vehicle theft and misdemeanor charges of criminal recklessness with a vehicle, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor and numerous traffic citations.

Black is being held at the Howard County jail on felony charges of possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance and resisting law enforcement.

• Mike Fletcher is the Kokomo Tribune crime reporter. He can be reached at 765-454-8565 or mike.fletcher@kokomotribune.com.