WARREN — The Youngstown man charged in a June 10, 2022, rush-hour shootout with police at a busy Liberty Township intersection agreed to take an offer from prosecutors Tuesday and pleaded guilty to seven felony counts — instead of facing trial on nine charges that was to begin Monday.

Kevin Mallard, 55, of Manhattan Avenue, is scheduled to be sentenced before Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Ronald J. Rice at 1:30 p.m. March 14.

Prosecutors said Mallard could face a maximum 97 to 102 1/2 year prison sentence.

Mallard pleaded guilty to attempted murder and inducing panic with firearm specifications, improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle, carrying concealed weapons and two additional counts of attempted murder with firearm specifications.

Prosecutors agreed to drop an attempted aggravated murder charge as well as one of the attempted murder counts.

A report of Mallard’s condition from a Columbus area psychologist, presented to the court last month, deemed the defendant competent to stand trial.

Mallard, who is recovering from gunshot wounds to his lower extremities, remains in Trumbull County jail. He is being held without bond.

The June 2022 shootout occurred at 3 p.m. at the intersection of Belmont Avenue and East Liberty Street.

An Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation report determined Mallard exchanged gunfire with Liberty police after he was accused of shooting Zach Woods, 20, whose vehicle was stopped at a red light in front of Mallard’s car at the intersection.

Police attempted to stop Mallard’s vehicle. He fired on officers, reports state. Police returned fire and wounded Mallard.

He was accused by police of shooting Woods at arm’s length in the temple with a Glock .40-caliber handgun as Woods sat behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz. Woods suffered major facial and eye injuries. Witnesses said at the time no evidence of road rage was evident.

The indictment states Mallard walked back to his Humvee after the shooting and drove off. Police officers responding to the shooting, however, stopped the Humvee and a shootout began — with dozens of shots fired along East Liberty Street near the Interstate 80 interchange.

The roads were closed for several hours after the shooting while investigators searched for spent shells.

Woods’ relatives were in the courtroom for Tuesday’s plea hearing and prosecutors said they went along with the plea deal..com