A Selma man was arrested June 28 after allegedly trying to kidnap his girlfriend and her two children and leading officers on a high-speed chase from Selma to Chilton County.

Eric Jermaine Peterson, 32, was arrested by the Jemison Police Department after shooting himself in the face and crashing his vehicle near Jemison, according to authorities.

Peterson was allegedly on the run after kidnapping his 24-year-old girlfriend and her two children.

The chase started after officers responded to a shots fired call on the 2300 block of Broad Street in Selma around 4 p.m. on June 28. Officers were then re-dispatched to a home on the 1100 block of Primrose Terrace in reference to an assault.

“When officers arrived at the scene of the assault, they observed a black male run from the residence, jump into a gold Jeep and speed off,” Curtis Muhannad with the Selma Police Department said. “Officers attempted to contain the vehicle, but the driver was able to avoid the blocks and head east on Alabama Hwy. 22 toward Maplesville.”

Muhannad said the chase, which exceeded more than 100 miles per hour at times, ended in Chilton County near Jemison, where Peterson wrecked his vehicle. Muhannad said the Selma Police Department disengaged from the chase when it got near Maplesville, and Maplesville Police Department took over.

Jemison Police Chief Shane Fulmer said a JPD officer spotted Peterson’s vehicle on Alabama Highway 191 and attempted to stop Peterson but Peterson refused to stop.

Fulmer said an officer with the Maplesville Police Department deployed spike strips and spike the tires of the vehicle in an attempt to stop Peterson before he got into town and endangered anyone else in his path.

“Before coming to a stop, Peterson rammed a Jemison Police vehicle,” Fulmer said. “Once the vehicle was stopped, officers took Peterson into custody.”

Fulmer said Peterson was armed with a .38 revolver handgun, and at some point during the pursuit, Peterson shot himself in the face.

Authorities are unclear why Peterson shot himself in the face.

Muhannad said Peterson was transported to a hospital in Jefferson County for treatment and is awaiting extradition to Selma.

The Selma Police Department issued warrants Monday for Peterson’s arrest on three counts of second-degree kidnapping, first-degree domestic violence burglary, three counts of domestic violence reckless endangerment, first-degree theft of property and attempting to elude law enforcement.

Once Peterson is transported back to Selma, he will be booked in the Dallas County Jail with no bond, Muhannad said.

The original call stemmed from an assault involving Peterson’s girlfriend.

“Special Victim Unit detectives were called to the scene of Primrose Terrace, in which they spoke with Eric Peterson’s girlfriend,” Muhannad said. “She advised detectives that Eric had forced her and her two children out of their residence on Broad Street and into her vehicle by gunpoint.”

Peterson’s girlfriend was able to convince him to take her and the two children to his relative’s house on Primrose Terrace.

“When they arrived at the relative’s house, the children were allowed to get out of the vehicle and go into the house,” Muhannad said. “The victim jumped from the vehicle, ran into the house and locked the door behind her.”

Muhannad said Peterson fired several shots and kicked the door in. He then threatened to kill his girlfriend if she did not stop hiding from him.

“Mr. Peterson’s relatives tried to reason with him, but they were unsuccessful, and then officers showed up, which led to the vehicle pursuit,” Muhannad said.

Muhannad said the Jemison Police Department recovered the vehicle and the weapon Peterson used to force his girlfriend and her two children into his vehicle.

Fulmer said Peterson also faces charges of felony assault, felony criminal mischief, ex-felon in possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment, and multiple traffic violations.

Peterson could also be facing charges from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

-Blake Deshazo with The Selma Times Journal contributed to this report.