San Diego

Police shot and wounded a man suspected of robbing a North Park drugstore after he led them on a car chase and fired at pursuing police officers Thursday night, police said.

Matthew H. Smith was wounded in the right shoulder by police after they stopped his car in the 200 block of West Washington Street, Lt. Richard Bennett said.

Smith was taken to UC San Diego Medical Center, where he was under police guard. A hospital spokesman said Smith was in good condition.

The incident began about 8 p.m., when a man brandishing a handgun held up the Sav-On Drugs store at 3151 University Ave., and was seen by Police Officers Ted Kasinak and Tom Rizzo leaving the scene in a car, Bennett said.

The two officers gave chase, and the man fired at them from his moving car. He stopped the vehicle on West Washington Street, and police shot out the back window with a shotgun, Bennett said.

Smith then got out of the car and faced the officers, appearing to have a gun in his hand, Bennett said. The officers fired again, hitting Smith in the right shoulder, he said.

Bennett said he did not know whether Smith was hit with a shotgun blast or with bullets from the officers’ revolvers. A gun was found on the floor of the car, Bennett said.