The police have often resorted to firing warning shots and occasionally injured a criminal, but never for something as trivial as a damaged car, according to crime historian Eddie Attard.
February 2004: Mobile squad police officers chased a man wanted over a stabbing incident and had to fire warning shots before arresting him.
They signalled at him to stop driving but he refused and drove away at “high speed and in a dangerous manner”. Warning shots were fired but to no avail. He was finally cornered.
January 2005: Officers intercepted a Gozitan with a container, in which they suspected there was cannabis.
Asking him to stop, he tried to flee by reversing at full speed. To stop the accused leaving the scene, officers fired a warning shot as well as a shot at the tyre of the accused’s vehicle.
In the meantime, another police car arrived and blocked the escape route.
November 2006: A thief was hit by police gunfire after he and an accomplice were caught trying to steal from a shop selling cheesecakes in Santa Venera.
The man was shot after one of the suspects drove their stolen getaway vehicle towards the officers.
May 2007: Bastjan Borg, a former patient at Mount Carmel Hospital, was killed after being shot five times by three policemen after he allegedly threatened passers-by in Qormi and damaged a number of vehicles using a flick knife.
The police were called and tried to restrain him but Mr Borg drew a penknife from his pocket. He lunged forward in an attempt to stab an officer and five shots were fired at him, killing him on the spot.
An inquiry in 2012 exonerated the three officers, saying they acted in self defence.
March 2012: A homeless Malian man was shot when he charged at police with a knife.
Souleymane Samake, who was deemed to be mentally unfit, was discovered living in Għar Ħasan.
He suddenly produced a nine-inch knife and tried to attack the officers.
They used pepper spray but this seemed to have no effect and the officers fired six shots in his direction, two hitting him in the leg and abdomen.