Officer injured, suspect in custody following Downtown Pittsburgh foot chase

Following a foot chase Tuesday afternoon in Downtown Pittsburgh, police arrested a man and recovered a stolen vehicle and firearm.

Authorities said officers on foot patrol near Wood Street spotted a stolen vehicle just after 4 p.m. Officers got behind the vehicle in a patrol car and on bicycles near the intersection of Wood and Sixth streets.

When officers turned on their lights and sirens, all four people in the car left the vehicle and fled on foot, police said.

Officers immediately detained two passengers. The other two ran toward Smithfield Street.

Officials said police focused on apprehending the driver. During a foot pursuit, the driver grabbed two unknown women and tried to use them as human shields when officers attempted to deploy tasers to apprehend him, public safety officials said.

The suspect threw one of the women to the ground and an officer collided with her. The woman was unhurt, officials said, and the officer suffered a minor elbow injury.

The driver was eventually tased near Seventh Street. Police said a stolen firearm slid from his waistband when he hit the ground.

Police took the suspect, who they did not immediately identify, into custody. He was taken to the hospital for medical clearance before being taken to Allegheny County Jail.

Pittsburgh Regional Transit officers picked up the third passenger who fled the scene on a bus.

Two of the passengers were juveniles, police said. They were taken to the Pittsburgh Public Safety Center where their parents and juvenile probation workers were contacted. The third passenger, an adult, was identified and released.

The vehicle was towed from the scene.

Police said multiple charges are forthcoming for the driver.