Eastern Uusimaa police said they were obliged to fire a gun to halt an armed suspect in Vantaa just after 4 pm on Wednesday.
Police received a report of a store robbery in the Rajatorppa neighbourhood, near Myyrmäki, around 4 pm. Vantaa is just north of Helsinki.
Shop staff said that the perpetrator had threatened them with a bladed weapon and stolen products from the store. The robber left the scene before police arrived, but was located on a street nearby.
Police ordered the suspect to drop the weapon, but the individual refused to do so. As a result, an officer then shot the suspect in the leg.
The suspect was immediately hospitalised. The injury is not life-threatening, according to the statement.
Officers cordoned off the scene on Nuijatie and remained on site to direct traffic. Several police patrols took part in the operation.
Police are investigating the alleged theft and threats in the store and the violent resistance to an official.
The discharge of a weapon by an officer in the line of duty will be reviewed by the Office of the Prosecutor General, as stipulated by law.