POLICE have fired shots during a violent car chase in Wodonga as onlookers ran to safety.
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Three police vehicles were rammed as the man tried to flee.
Officers smashed the windows of his stolen vehicle after firing at least two shots in a bid to stop him.
Police scrambled to get nearby residents to lock their doors as the man ran inside several homes.
His crime spree – which may have been fuelled by drugs – came to an end when a homeowner found him in his backyard and dropped him face first onto the road.
The offender, who was handcuffed and appeared dazed after his arrest, was left with blood pouring from his face.
Police had been searching for the man in Wodonga on Sunday and were told he was in Castle Creek Road.
They attended the area and searched backyards for him, before being told he was inside a property.
Officers ran into the home but the man stole a car and rammed it through a closed roller door as police fired.
He smashed his way through the garage and hit several cars, including three police vehicles in a bid to ram his way to freedom.
Officers tried to smash the windows of the Hyundai but couldn’t break the glass.
The man reversed south on Castle Creek drive, followed by police, and he slammed the vehicle into another car and a scooter before running out and jumping a fence.
The Memorial Drive resident who brought an end to the ordeal said the offender had demanded his keys, but he refused to hand them over.
“I got told by the police to lock the house but he beat me to the door,” he said.
“He confronted me at the trailer, said he needed a car, and I said ‘you’re not having it’.
“I pushed him into the trailer, turned him around and marched him out.
“He saw the police and sprinted and they tried to grab him.
“I piffed him onto the road, dropped him.
“I just let the police take over.”
Another man, whose car was hit, said the offender had earlier demanded a lift.
He insisted on being taken to a service station and appeared to be in a hurry.
“There was a car that followed me – I think he might have stolen their scooter – and he grabbed an empty bottle and threw it at them.
“I heard sirens and he jumped a fence and heaps of cop cars rocked up.
“After standing around for a while, I heard gunshots so I went inside until it was all over.”
The 22-year-old Albury man had to be taken to hospital under police guard following his arrest.
He will be interviewed and will likely be charged.
