A man who allegedly abducted his pregnant ex-partner and two children before being shot by police has been charged.
The 26-year-old was shot by police following a 90-minute pursuit through Adelaide last night.
Police received reports of an assault involving a man and a 23-year-old woman at Cumberland Park just after 10pm yesterday.
A man who attempted to intervene was allegedly threatened with a firearm, before the alleged offender drove away with the woman, a three-year-old girl and a seven-month old girl inside his car.
"I said to him, 'Please, what is going on? Please. Please. Please. Just leave her.' Trying to talk to him, but then he pulled a gun," neighbour Ibrahim Sinka said.
The car was spotted on Marion Road in South Plympton about 20 minutes later and was then monitored by PolAir.
It sped through Port Adelaide and had its tyres spiked at the intersection of Grand Junction and South Road, but continued on to Hampstead Road and into the city via North East Road.
The car was finally stopped in Hindley Street at 11.30pm.
Police allege the driver then pointed the gun to the head of the toddler.
"When they were doing that it will be alleged that he threatened the three-year-old girl with a firearm and that's when a decision was made for a police officer to fire at the offender," Assistant Commissioner Paul Dickson said.
Television news camera footage shows officers assisting a distressed woman and baby to get out of the car moments before a gunshot is heard.
Witnesses reported seeing the car flying down Hindley Street before shots rang out.
"It all happened so fast and suddenly a white car came flying down a side street and crashed into a parked car," Lucy Dodson, a worker in the area, told 9news.com.au.
"Like I said it all happened so fast and next things next gunshots fired with a baby got pulled from the crashed car followed by a young girl and a older female passenger.
"A large crowd of people were gathered and officers were pushing everyone into the nearest shop which had (its) doors open and making us lock the doors keeping everybody inside," Ms Dodson said.
The children were not physically injured, while the 23-year-old woman suffered minor injuries.
The alleged offender was taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital with non-life threatening gunshot wounds to his arm and leg. He has undergone surgery.
He has been charged with aggravated kidnapping, unlawful threats, acts to endanger life, using a firearm to commit an offence and driving dangerously to escape police pursuit.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or the events leading to Hindley Street is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.