Police wound 13-year-old boy who had toy gun

ST. LOUIS -- Police shot and wounded a 13-year-old boy who officers said pointed a toy revolver at them after he and other youths were caught in a stolen truck following a flea market burglary.

Six other youths, age 13 to 16, were arrested following the chase early Saturday.

Police from the St. Louis suburb of Pagedale chased a group of youths after a burglary at a flea market.

The teenage boys, whom police said were in the stolen vehicle, led authorities along Interstates 70, 44 and 55.

St. Louis officers joined the pursuit once the suspects crossed into the city, and the suspects' vehicle hit two St. Louis police cars around 2:30 a.m. Officers were not injured.

The chase ended when the truck crashed into a pole in the city.

The teens ran from the truck, and as police chased them, the 13-year-old reached into his waistband and pointed what appeared to be a handgun at an officer, authorities said.

An officer fired at the boy, hitting him in the hip, leg and arm. The youth is hospitalized in stable condition and his injuries are not life-threatening.

Authorities said the teen's gun turned out to be a toy revolver. He also had a starter pistol.

A 14-year-old was treated for a head wound he apparently suffered in the crash.

Police think the stolen vehicle had been used earlier in a burglary attempt at Bulls Eye, a firing range and gun shop.

Someone used a vehicle to ram metal garage doors in the front of the building and at the rear loading dock, but did not get inside the store where handguns and rifles are stored.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch: www.stltoday.com