By Michael Frazier
Newsday
QUEENS, N.Y. — Two patrol officers interrupted a teenager engaged in a gun battle with another male on a Queens street and exchanged gunfire with the teen before arresting him, New York city police said yesterday.
No one was struck by gunfire in the separate exchanges Saturday shortly after 10 p.m. at Sutphin Boulevard at 122nd Avenue in Jamaica, police said.
The teenager, Troy Smith, 17, was arrested after he traded gunfire with police, while the other armed suspect escaped on foot.
Smith, of 109-39 166th St., Jamaica,will be charged as an adult with counts of attempted murder and criminal possession of a firearm. It was unclear what led to the shootout between Smith and the other male.
According to a preliminary police report, the two unidentified officers were on routine foot patrol when they happened upon Smith and the other male firing at one another.
As the officers approached, Smith fired a .32-caliber revolver at them, but he missed, police said.
At least one of the officers returned fire, also missing. Narrowly escaping injury, the officers managed to reach Smith and tackle him.
He was arrested and police confiscated the revolver.
The officers were later evaluated at and released from Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.
The investigation is ongoing and police are searching for the unidentified man for questioning.
A police spokesman said investigators are probing how many rounds were fired by police and Smith, and whether the other man fired at officers, he said.
Copyright 2007 Newsday