Police fire warning shots to arrest man

Mobile squad police officers chased a man wanted over a stabbing incident and had to fire warning shots before arresting him yesterday.

The police said that at about 11.30 a.m. officers in a mobile squad car spotted a Mini Minor in Birkirkara driven by a man who had been wanted since Friday. They signalled him to stop but he refused and drove away at high speed and in a dangerous manner.

The police gave chase, continuously ordering him to stop but he ignored their instructions and kept driving through various localities even ignoring traffic lights, thus creating a danger to the public.

At one point, the police added, part of a Floriana road was partially blocked in an attempt to stop the man on the run. However, he tried to ram a police car. Warning shots were fired but to no avail and the man drove through Floriana until he headed towards Guardamangia where he was finally cornered and arrested in St Luke's Square by members of the criminal investigation department.

Nobody was injured.

Sources said the man was wanted after allegedly stabbing his partner on Friday evening in Qawra.

A magisterial inquiry is underway.