Robber Armed with Ax Shot by Police

St. Petersburg Police shot a man armed with a large ax early Sunday morning after police were chasing the suspect for allegedly stealing a bicycle. 

At 2:16 a.m. Sunday, police received a call that the suspect, later identified as 27-year-old Anthony Stahley, was armed with an ax and had just robbed a man of his bicycle.

According to police, the victim said the suspect was last seen leaving with the bike in the alley behind his home near the intersection of 17th Avenue North and 11th Street North.

Police said they found Stahley in the area riding on the victim's bicycle. 

The police officer struggled briefly with Stahley who managed to break free from the officer's grasp, police said.

Moments later, according to supervisors on the scene, Stahley picked up the ax and threatened Police Sergeant Karl Lounge who had responded to the area as a back-up on the call.

Lounge discharged his department-issued sidearm several times at Stahley, according to police, and struck the suspect.

Stahley was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

No police officers were hurt during the incident, police said. 

Lounge, who has been a police officer since 1990, was placed in paid leave, which police said is standard procedure for "these type of situations."