Maui police yesterday charged a man with attempted first-degree murder after he allegedly rammed an officer's squad car several times during a 15-mile chase Friday night.

According to a statement by Maui police Lt. Wallace Tom, about 10:30 p.m. Friday, an anonymous caller reported seeing what appeared to be a handgun being brandished by one of five men in a gray Nissan Pathfinder in the parking lot of the Kamehameha Schools pre-school in the Hawaiian Homes Community Center.

When they arrived, Wailuku patrol officers found the Pathfinder unoccupied. Then they saw a 2000 gold, four-door Ford Escort driven by a man later identified as Clinton A.K. Estrella, 23, of Kihei, leaving the parking lot.

The officers said they ordered Estrella to stop but he accelerated, driving at one of them, police said. Estrella rammed an officer's patrol car and drove out of the parking lot, sideswiping a gate, police said.

The officers pursued him, and Estrella intentionally rammed the officer's patrol car several more times, police said. He then drove toward Kahakuloa.

The pursuit went on for 15 miles and ended when Estrella drove off the side of Kahekili Highway, near mile post marker 8, and went 40 feet down a steep embankment. Four officers went down the embankment and found Estrella, who had left the car and was trying to run away.

Following a brief scuffle, the officers were able to overpower him, using a Taser to subdue him, police said.

No weapon was found on Estrella, police said.

The four officers were injured. The most serious injury was a wound that required 10 to 12 stitches, police said. All the officers were treated and released at the Maui Memorial Medical Center emergency room.

Estrella suffered minor injuries and was treated at the Wailuku Police Station by medics, police said. His bail was set at $100,000, Tom said yesterday.

Estrella was also arrested on an outstanding contempt of court warrant.

Police said he has a record of 45 arrests and 23 convictions, seven of them felonies.

The vehicle Estrella was driving is registered to a relative and was totaled, police said.

Also, police were unable to locate any other men in the area, and there is nothing tying Estrella to the five men who originally were reported with the Pathfinder.