A Clementon man, sought for allegedly shoplifting, took police on a dangerous chase that ended with the suspect crashing a stolen police car into a wooded area at a nearby apartment complex.Police said they were called to the Country Farms Market on Monday for a report of a shoplifter who had fled the convenience store.

An officer located the alleged suspect, 36-year-old Dionell L. Johnson, at the Greens at Pine Hill Apartment Complex on Blackwood-Clementon Road.

Upon being spotted, Johnson fled from the officer over a chain-linked fence into another nearby apartment complex.

While attempting to take Johnson into custody, police said he assumed a “fighting stance” and “aggressively confronted the officer.”

Police said despite deploying pepper spray and utilizing a baton, the officer was unable to take the suspect into custody.

Johnson then fled back to the apartment complex he was originally spotted at and entered a marked police car.

Police said Johnson fled in the patrol unit at a high rate of speed through the Greens at Pine Hill, striking community mailboxes and a large trash bin at which time the stolen police car left the roadway striking a tree.

Johnson then fled on foot, but was later taken into custody with the assistance of police officers from Lindenwold and Clementon.

A Pine Hill officer was treated for minor injuries and released.

Johnson was charged with shoplifting, obstruction of justice, resisting arrest, eluding, aggravated assault on a police officer, carjacking and failure to submit to fingerprinting.

He was also wanted on multiple warrants out of Philadelphia, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and the Delaware River Port Authority.

Johnson was taken to the Camden County Jail without bail on the outstanding warrants.

Bail for the incident Monday was set at $180,000 full cash.