Story highlights Before he was slammed into by a police car, Mario Valencia fired a rifle with a loosened lock

He shoplifted the gun and ammo from a Walmart, where a saleswoman who showed him the weapon alerted security

Walmart says the lock was properly installed but police say it was loose when it was found

(CNN) At first police in Marana, Arizona, thought the shoplifted gun Mario Valencia held as he walked through a busy office park was locked and unable to fire.

The cable through the lever and trigger couldn't be taken off, an officer was told by an employee of the Walmart where Valencia took the gun and some rounds of ammunition.

But just 10 seconds after the worker told police that ... a shot.

Valencia had fired into the air, and less than a minute later a police car slammed into him in a move that ended a crime spree and sparked nationwide discussion on the officer's unusual tactic.

The 36-year-old Valencia was hospitalized and within a few days transferred to jail where he faces 15 charges, including shoplifting the .30-30 rifle.

Read More