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Suspected shoplifter hits police officer with car while trying to get away, still on the loose

Whether it's midafternoon or late at night, chances are the Giant Eagle Market District in Shadyside is busy.

It's what makes a Friday afternoon crime so shocking.

According to Pittsburgh police, a cashier told an officer working security detail about a suspected shoplifter just before 4 p.m. The officer confronted the suspect in the parking lot.

That's when investigators say the suspect jumped in his car and started driving away, hitting the officer with his car door and knocking him to the ground.

The officer injured his hand and leg, but police say he's doing okay at UPMC Mercy.

“There was a getaway car? I have never heard of anything like that,” said shopper Pamela Blackburn. “All of these people in there and they would do that in front of them. I just don't understand."

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After getting information from police, Channel 11 immediately went to speak with shoppers who know this store best.

“It's crazy. They put their life on the line and they do so much for us,” said Chanel Massie. “To go through something like that just breaks my heart.”

Despite the shock, Blackburn is confident the person responsible will soon be behind bars.

“With the technology they have nowadays, they're going to find him. That's sad,” she said.

Police said the getaway vehicle was a newer model Subaru, maroon in color, with the last four digits on the license plate being either 1933 or 1993. If anyone has any information or has seen the vehicle, call police at 412-323-7800.