The 39-year-old ignored orders to stop at a police checkpoint near the Vatican City, prompting a brief car chase, Il Messaggero daily reported. The BMW was fired at and stopped after hitting a police vehicle.
The driver was eventually surrounded and restrained by officers who used a taser on him. Two officers were reportedly injured and taken to a hospital.
The Corriere della Serra newspaper said that police had found no link between the car chase and the pontiff's noon prayer. The incident happened in a busy street that was packed with tourists hoping to hear the sermon.