MEDFORD — A Medford cop opened fire on a carful of juvenile suspects after the vehicle barreled straight at him during a pre-dawn car-break-in investigation, police said.

It kicked off around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday with a report of people trying to break into a vehicle on Barbara Lane in West Medford. An officer in the area spotted a car matching the description over on Lincoln Road, and as the officer moved in to make contact, the vehicle drove at him. He fired.

The car took off, fleeing Medford into neighboring Malden with Medford police and State Police troopers in pursuit. The chase ended when the vehicle crashed into a Massachusetts State Police cruiser.

The occupants bailed out and ran. They didn't get far — officers and troopers ran all five down at James Street and Medford Street in Malden. Every one of them was a juvenile.

Three officers and one suspect were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries. None of the injuries came from the shots fired, police said.

"As the officer attempted to make contact with the vehicle, it drove at the officer, resulting in the officer discharging their firearm," police said in a joint statement with Massachusetts State Police.

The five are staring down serious charges over the alleged break-in and what followed. Pointing a car at a cop is no small thing in Massachusetts — it is typically charged as assault with a dangerous weapon, the weapon being the car itself.

Formal charges and arraignment details had not been released as of publication, and because the suspects are juveniles, their names are being withheld.

Greater Boston has watched a steady run of juvenile-driven crime over the past year — shoplifting sprees, shootings, beach and park takeovers, and car break-in / joyride / pursuit chains that keep ending in wreckage and cuffs across Middlesex, Suffolk, and Essex counties. Tuesday's incident — five juveniles in one car running from a targeted break-in scheme — slots right into it.

The investigation is active and ongoing, police said. Mass Daily News will update as charging details surface.