A driver led Chicago police on a wild chase through the West Side Friday afternoon after stealing an ambulance from Loretto Hospital. 

Cicero police said three paramedics were taking a patient to Loretto Hospital in the city's Austin neighborhood around 4 p.m. One paramedic was still inside the hospital, the second was standing by the ambulance's back door, and the third was inside the vehicle as a different patient was being escorted out of Loretto by security. That patient ran to the driver's side door of the ambulance, jumped inside, and drove away with the third paramedic still in the back of the ambulance.

The paramedic was able to jump out of the ambulance about two blocks away, Cicero police said. 

The paramedic who had been standing by the ambulance called 911 immediately, Cicero police said, allowing Chicago police to quickly respond and give chase. 

The driver then led police on a chase through the city's West Side. At one point, police were able to stop and box in the ambulance near Jackson and Central, but the driver barricaded himself in the ambulance and rammed into squad cars to escape again. 

Chicago police confirmed that an officer opened fire on the suspect during the chase, but no one was struck by the gunfire. 

Police continued to pursue the driver, who crashed into several other vehicles along the way, until they caught up to him at Cicero and Chicago Avenue in the city's Austin neighborhood. The ambulance crashed into an oncoming Chicago police squad car and rear-ended a civilian vehicle as it approached the intersection, and police converged on it. At least a dozen officers took the driver down and placed him into custody. 

The suspect was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition after he was arrested. Chicago police said three officers who were injured during the chase also were taken to hospitals for treatment. Four other people who were injured in crashes during the chase also were taken to hospitals for minor injuries.

Cicero police said the ambulance remained in the Chicago Police Department's possession on Friday evening as it was processed for evidence during the investigation. 

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability was investigating the use of force by the officer who fired their weapon. That officer will be placed on 30 days of administrative duty as COPA begins its investigation.