Update: Two police cruisers wrecked in late-night chase

A chase from Whitfield County, Ga., to Hamilton County Monday night has landed one officer in the hospital, disabled two police cars and resulted in several shots fired on officers, East Ridge police spokesman Erik Hopkins said.

A suspect in custody has been identified as a 14 year old male.

Hopkins said the chase began at a gas station in Tunnel Hill, Ga. Shots were fired, though Hopkins said the exact circumstances are not clear.

The suspect fled the scene in a vehicle and authorities including Whitfield and Catoosa officers and Georgia State Patrol troopers joined in.

The driver fired on police while being pursued, Hopkins said.

He also rammed a Catoosa cruiser, disabling the car and sending the driver, a deputy, to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Hopkins.

As the chase entered Tennessee and turned onto Interstate 24, East Ridge police joined in and laid out spike strips, ruining the tires on the driver’s car, but he continued on his rims undeterred.

A trooper tried to execute a maneuver to end the chase but crashed his own car instead, Hopkins said.

The driver of the pursued vehicle exited I-24 and got onto Belvoir Avenue as his car began to fail. He abandoned the vehicle near North Terrace Street and ran, but was apprehended in a yard a short time later, Hopkins said.

He said a “host of charges” would be filed when the various law enforcement departments involved sort out which can charge the man with each alleged crime.

The 14 year old is listed as a runaway from South Carolina. He was taken to the Children's Hospital for evaluation before being taken to the Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Center. He is charged with Aggravated Assault and Felony Evading.