LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) -Police shot a man in the thigh on Monday after he allegedly rammed an officer with a car, then led police on a 10-mile chase through three cities.

The chase began shortly after 9:30 a.m., when Lawrence police were called to investigate a man sleeping in a car. After police arrived, they discovered the car was reported stolen in Manchester, N.H., on Aug. 14.

The man initially cooperated, but then jumped into the car and tried to flee, repeatedly ramming a police car and hitting an officer, said Lawrence Police Capt. Michael Driscoll.

As he struck the officer, three officers fired five rounds at the car, Driscoll said.

With one tire flat and police pursuing him, the man drove into Methuen, then Haverhill, where he crashed the car into a tree and it burst into flames, Driscoll said.

As the suspect left the car, Driscoll said an officer repeatedly ordered him to show his hands, then shot him once in the thigh after the man made a threatening move. The man was taken to Boston Medical Center, and his injuries are not considered life-threatening, Driscoll said.

Police believe the man, who is thought to be in his mid-20s, gave them a false name. They were trying to identify him with fingerprints Monday evening.

The three officers who fired shots were put on administrative leave, a standard procedure after a shooting involving an officer, Driscoll said. Lawrence police and state police are investigating.

AP-ES-09-06-04 1859EDT