Tel Aviv highway becomes police shootout scene
Man seriously wounded by police fire after stealing car, ramming vehicles on Highway 4
Police shot and wounded a man in his 30s driving a stolen vehicle, following a highway pursuit on a major thoroughfare near Tel Aviv Monday, Israel Police said.
According to officials, the suspect evaded a police blockade and refused to pull over, engaging in a car chase with officers on Highway 4.
After ramming a police car and “endangering the lives of officers,” the suspect was shot, sustaining wounds to his upper body, according to a police spokesperson.
The man was evacuated to Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikvah in critical condition.
An initial investigation points to a duo of car thieves that were planning to trade stolen vehicles in area. Police received information Monday morning of the impending sale and set up a checkpoint on the road.
The first car was stopped at the barrier. The driver of the second car turned around and sped off, sparking the pursuit.
In April 2013, a similar high-speed car chase in Tel Aviv involving stolen vehicles left six people injured.