Police officer fires at fleeing drunk driver in Šilalė

A police officer in Šilalė fired a shot at a drunk driver’s car after the driver refused to stop and endangered officers during a high-speed chase, the Lithuanian Police Department reported Thursday.

The incident occurred around 7:46 AM on V. Kudirkos Street in Šilalė when officers attempted to stop a BMW 523 traveling at high speed. The driver, born in 2000, failed to comply and led police on a pursuit through Šilalė district.

In Balsiai village, officers blocked the road with patrol vehicles, but the suspect swerved around the barrier, nearly hitting officers who had exited their cars. A Šilalė district police officer then fired a single shot from a service pistol at the fleeing vehicle, causing it to leave the road and come to a stop.

The driver, found to be heavily intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of 2‰, physically resisted arrest. No injuries were reported. The suspect has been detained, and a pre-trial investigation for drunk driving has been launched.