Police Fire Shots During Pope Francis' Angelus as Car Drives Through the Barricades at the Vatican - VIDEO

On Sunday, June 19, 2022, a man in a car drove through the barricades at the Vatican. This incident occurred while Pope Francis was reciting the Angelus prayer. A 39-year-old Albanian man was arrested by police. The police were forced to shoot the tires of the car in order to stop him.  A BMW with a 39-year-old Albanian citizen inside did not stop at a halt by a carabinieri patrol in Piazza Sant'Uffizio, a handful of meters from Via della Conciliazione, when it was crowded with faithful. 

The BMW was moving at high speed, took Via Gregorio VII in the direction of Piazza Pio XI. The man  tried to get out and escape the police, but was immobilized with the use of a taser.  

 The Albanian man, was already known to the police for previous smaller charges. He didn't stop at a police checkpoint on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, one of the main streets in central Rome, and from there the police and Carabinieri began to chase him. Thousands of pilgrims were arriving in St. Peter's Square to attend Pope Francis' Angelus. The car knocked down some security barriers and proceeding at high speed along a pavement. The man in the meantime had thrown his wallet and watch on his wrist from the car. The 39-year-old did not, however, give up: he locked himself inside his car, threatening the police. The policemen therefore had to break one of the glasses to extract him and use a taser. Reports indicate that the man was under the influence of drugs.  He was subsequently, handcuffed and arrested for resisting an aggravated public official. The man was taken to hospital as well as two officers who were injured in the pursuit. The 39-year-old's criminal record shows precedents for drugs, abuse in the family. 

Sources: quotidiano.net, Euronews, AP and https://www.republicworld.com/