2 Fresno Police cars hit by gunfire in officer involved shooting, police say

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A dangerous shootout on the streets of Fresno as police tracking a shooting suspect said they came under attack.

The trouble started late this morning and even though things came to a head just before noon, police say there's still a danger out there.

The chase and shootout ended at Peach and Olive, just south of the airport. A couple police cars were still on the scene with gunshots through the windshield, but what wasn't there is the man police believe is responsible for that.

By the time police dogs searched the cars leaving this apartment complex, there was really only one hole in their investigation: The man who shot at undercover police officers Wednesday. The undercover officers had staked out the teenager suspected of being the gunman in a shooting Tuesday, so they were prepared for possible trouble. "They were waiting to be able to spot the suspect vehicle, or Miles Banks, before they called the SWAT team to execute that search warrant," said Jerry Dyer, Fresno Police Chief.

But Banks drove away before the SWAT team was in place. Police followed him a few miles to a spot where he picked up a friend, and they kept following him as he drove back to the area of Tuesday's shooting. The passenger fired once in the air, but police don't think the suspects knew they were being followed. That changed a few miles later when the undercovers turned on their lights and tried to stop Banks and his friend-- it didn't work. "The passenger in that vehicle turned around and started to fire at both of our officers in two separate vehicles," said Dyer.

As their windshields splintered, the undercover officers fired back as they kept chasing, even in a residential area. Nobody was hit, but the danger was growing and police said they had to make a move. "Detectives in a plain car struck the suspects' vehicle, knocking it up on a curb. The passenger jumped out of the car, began to run in a northwest direction and he was armed with a handgun," Dyer explained.

Police caught Banks, but his passenger took off to the northwest and so far he's disappeared.

Officers searched the area for a few hours without luck.

He's described as a heavyset African-American teenager wearing mostly black, including a black bandana. But he's considered armed and dangerous.