Police chase ends with car fire in Elizabeth

ELIZABETH, N.J. (WABC) -- A man has been arrested and charged after a police chase that started in Clark and ended in Elizabeth with a car fire on Friday.

Around 5 p.m., the Union County Prosecutor's Office said, Clark Police were dispatched to the Target on Central Avenue on a report of a possibly fraudulent attempted use of a credit card. The prosecutor's office said in a statement that a man later identified as Kasaine Pertet, 32, of New Windsor, N.Y., tried to leave the area in a gold Ford Taurus when police arrived.

The suspect allegedly hit an unmarked police vehicle trying to escape, causing the officer to fire one shot. No one was hit. A three-city chase ensued, starting in Clark, then continuing through the streets of Roselle, and finally ending in Elizabeth, with the suspect's car in a ball of fire when it lost a tire.

The suspect was uninjured and the Clark police officer who fired was taken to a local hospital to be evaluated as a precaution.

Pertet is being held on $310,000 bail.

"It's kind of crazy, doesn't seem like that would happen here," said Steve Dinnerman, a shopper.

"It's crazy. Usually you don't hear things like that in Clark, New Jersey," a resident said.

Shoppers didn't witness the commotion outside, but said word spread quickly inside the store. "I heard the cashier outside trying to figure out what happened," said Ines Hassan, a shopper. "It's unbelievable, you don't think something like that would happen when you're shopping."

As with all instances in which a police officer discharges his or her weapon, the prosecutor's SRT (Shooting Response Team) responded to the scene to investigate the use of force.

Fire officials responded to the scene to put out the car fire.