OAKLAND — Four men were detained in connection with a series of robberies Wednesday morning that included three women viciously pistol whipped and a mother and father robbed at gunpoint in front of their children, authorities said.

The four were taken into custody after a high-speed car chase in East Oakland, which ended when pursuing officers bumped their car to a stop, authorities said. Their names were not immediately released.

A gun was found on one of the men, and losses from the robberies, including purses, cell phones and other items were recovered, police said.

The spree began about 8:10 a.m. when the mother and father were robbed at gunpoint as they were getting into their car with their children near Santa Clara Avenue and Jean Street not far from the Grand Lake district.

Moments later a short distance away a woman was pistol-whipped and robbed of her purse.

About 8:30 a.m., a woman was attacked from behind, pistol whipped and robbed of her purse in the 1000 block of West Grand Avenue and another woman was pistol-whipped and robbed in the 1000 block of 21st Street.

The women, who were all hit on the head, were taken to hospitals for treatment of their injuries.

The suspects’ car was spotted by police just before 9 a.m. near MacArthur Boulevard and Laurel Avenue.

With police in pursuit, the car headed down MacArthur onto Fruitvale Avenue and other streets, sometimes at speeds reaching 60 mph.

About 9:05 a.m. one of the police vehicles used what is known as a “pursuit intervention technique” to bump the side of the suspects’ car, causing it to spin out and stop in the area of East Ninth Street and Fruitvale Avenue near the Fruitvale Village. The occupants of the car tried to run away but were all soon detained. Police policy required they be taken to a hospital for evaluation for possible injuries before they were questioned.

Police are investigating if whether the men are suspected in other robberies.