COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A Columbus police officer was injured after being hit by a car after a chase, resulting in three teenagers — known to officers for allegedly stealing cars in the past — being taken into custody.

Authorities responded to the intersection of Wilson Avenue and Fair Avenue Tuesday at approximately 4:30 p.m. after a car hit an officer during a pursuit out of a traffic stop, according to the Columbus Division of Police. Police said the pursuit started south of the scene.

The officer was transported to Grant Medical Center in a stable condition and is expected to be released from the hospital tonight.

Police at the scene said multiple guns and a stolen car were recovered.

The teenage suspects range in age from 14 to 17, police said.

“These kids put this community in danger today, and they had no regard for the safety of the people in this community,” Columbus Police Cmd. Duane Mabry said.

According to police, the suspects, whom officers were on the lookout for, were found driving a blue Kia, which had been reported stolen. Officers were finally able to stop the vehicle at the Wilson and Fair avenues location.

“Earlier in the day, the same juveniles had taken off from our first-shift officers and supervisors and actually almost ran over one of our supervisors and we knew that they were armed at that time,” Mabry said. “This juvenile has taken off from our officers multiple times over the last 10 days.”

Photos taken at the scene showed a Columbus police car had struck a fence, with wooden panels collapsed around it. Officers were stationed around the Kia with its doors open.

One of the suspects is also hospitalized with minor injuries and is listed in a stable condition.

Franklin County Juvenile Court data shows that in just the first four months of 2023, there were 248 stolen vehicle cases in the county. Over the summer, those numbers continued to rise.