JOHOR BARU: A dramatic police chase ended with the cops firing three warning shots at a car after the driver attempted to flee during a routine inspection near a showhouse gallery along Jalan Dato' Abdullah Tahir, here, yesterday.
In the 6.50pm incident, a 27-year-old man was arrested, after narcotics were found in the vehicle.
He is expected to be charged for attempted murder and obstruction the duties of a civil servant, among others.
In his get-away attempt, the man drove recklessly against traffic and crashed into three vehicles.
Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar said the policemen in pursuit had no other choice but to fire warning shots, as the lone suspect's action could endanger other motorists and the cops.
The two cops fired three shots at the suspect's Honda Accord's tyres, which forced the suspect to come to a halt.
He was initially spotted acting suspiciously by the police patrol unit, and was instructed to stop but sped off into the showhouse gallery's parking lot.
"When policemen approached the vehicle, he pressed on the escalator and sped off, while attempting to run the officers over.
"He also drove against traffic flow, which prompted the officers to open fire," Kumar said.
Police found 296 grammes of heroin in the vehicle. The suspect was tested positive for methamphetamine.
He also has 16 prior criminal and drugs-related records.
Kumar said there were no injuries reported during the five-minute pursuit but three vehicles which the suspect crashed into were severely damaged.
The suspect who was remanded today will face multiple charges, including for obstructing public servants, attempted murder and also under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for drug trafficking.
He will also face a charge under the Road Transport Act for driving under the influence of drugs.