Marsa shoot-out: off-duty policeman injured in car chase after multiple shots fired

Updated at 1.30pm with additional photos

A wanted man led the police on a one-hour car chase on Wednesday morning, hitting and injuring an off-duty police officer in Marsa.

At around 7.15am on Wednesday morning, police spotted a man who was wanted in connection to several criminal cases, at Triq il-Mitħna in Qormi.

Multiple warning shots were fired in the air and at the car of the accused (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

Keith Cremona, a 34-year-old Maltese man from Valletta, refused police orders to stop, leading the officers to a car chase, during which he drove recklessly and excessively, even against the flow of traffic, through Ħamrun and Marsa.

A 25-year-old off-duty police officer who was driving his personal motorcycle was hit by the accused near the migrant open centre in Marsa.

Police fired multiple shots at the car of the accused (Photo: Police)

Police were constrained to fire warning shots in the air and at the vehicle, as the driver hit the police car multiple times. The chase came to an end at around 8.15am at Sir Paul Boffa Avenue in Paola, as police fired and hit one of the tyres of the car.

The man was arrested and is being held in lockup at the police headquarters in Floriana. He was not injured during the incident.

Keith Cremona was apprehended in Paola (Photo: Police)

The injured police officer was taken to Mater Dei hospital where he is being treated for slight injuries.

Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras is leading an inquiry and police investigations are ongoing.