For a Pittsburgh police officer, his shift yesterday afternoon was supposed to be a rather routine one: issuing traffic citations Downtown.

But one man who was idling his car in a no-parking zone in the 200 block of Fifth Avenue refused the officer's repeated requests to move his vehicle. And instead, the motorcycle officer was led on a five-mile chase, in which he fired a shot at the driver after he attempted to knock him off his bike.

The officer was treated at the hospital for abrasions and bruising on his right arm, then released.

The suspect, who was not struck by the officer's bullet and didn't return fire, was apprehended by a Ross police officer. City detectives were interviewing him last night, but did not release his name. Charges were pending.

The pursuit involved several city police cruisers and caused a major traffic headache for commuters during rush hour. No one else was injured.

The incident began about 5:40 p.m. when the officer from the Hill District station approached the man and told him he needed to move his car, said Lt. Daniel Herrmann. The man ignored the officer's three requests. Then, when the officer began issuing him a $90 ticket, the man fled.

"Most of the time when people see you they move," Herman said. "He told the guy to move on. The guy ignored him. No normal person acts like that."

The man led the officer onto Liberty Avenue, to Seventh Street and to General Robinson Street. When the pursuit reached the intersection of East Ohio and Madison streets on the North Side, the man suddenly made a sharp left turn, striking the officer's bike with the car.

The officer did not fall from his bike, but felt threatened and fired a single shot at the vehicle. It was unclear last night where the round struck.

The pursuit continued onto Interstate 279 north. Just before the Bellevue exit, the man suddenly crashed his car into an embankment, jumped out and tried to run. He was then apprehended by a Ross officer.

Police said the car the man was driving was not registered to him and had stolen plates. It was unclear last night how fast he was driving.

"It really wasn't a very fast pursuit," Herman said. "It was a well-disciplined pursuit."

He added that he was pleased the man was eventually caught without anyone being seriously injured.