Ind. Man Shot After Ramming Two Squad Cars

South Bend (Ind.) Police officers shot a career criminal who had rammed two squad cars after a vehicle pursuit on Saturday.

The incident began as a traffic stop in the 1600 block of South Bend Avenue just before 5 p.m. Saturday. About eight minutes into the stop, Joseph Stambaugh, 37, fled and officers pursued him. Officers were forced to fire on him after he smashed head-on into a squad car near Perley Primary Fine Arts Academy and started trying to ram others, reports the South Bend Tribune . He was shot seven times.

Jeremy Stambaugh, the suspect's older brother, criticized officers for using what he said was excessive force.

"If he pulled a gun and started firing – yeah, that warrants being shot to death," Jeremy told WSBT . "If you killed somebody and someone saw you do it – yeah, that warrants you be put to death. Running from somebody? No, I don't see where that warrants it."

Stambaugh had been released from prison about a year ago and has a lengthy criminal history of drug and traffic violations. He was charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.