The State Bureau of Investigations is looking into an officer involved shooting after a Selma police officer opened fire at a suspect that fired shots into a crowd in downtown Thanksgiving night.

Selma Police Chief John Brock said two officers were making a traffic stop for a DUI between 11:30 p.m. and 11:50 p.m. at the intersection of Broad Street and Alabama Avenue, when they heard multiple gunshots ring out near the intersection of Washington Street and Alabama Avenue.

“They turned and looked and saw several people running with guns,” Brock said. “The officers pursued them. The guys started shooting into the crowd and started shooting toward the officers.”

According to Brock, the officers saw a group of four to five unidentified males running from the area with guns. Brock said one officer pursued them on foot while the other pursued them in a patrol car.

Brock said the officers identified themselves and one of them returned fire at one of the suspects.

When the officers tried to pursue the suspects down Alabama Avenue toward Broad Street, the suspects opened fire at the officers a second time.

As the chase pursued, officers found an 18-year-old male at the intersection of Church Street and Alabama Avenue with a gunshot wound to his leg.

Brock said the 18-year-old was transported to Vaughan Regional Medical Center and later transferred to UAB Hospital in Birmingham.

“We’re not sure [at this time] who shot who,” Brock said.  “We know the officer fired shots … so we took the high road and went straight to the SBI.”

Brock said it is a routine procedure to hand over any officer involved shooting to the SBI.

Brock said the officer, who was not identified, was placed on administrative leave while the shooting is being investigated.

Brock said it is unclear if the 18-year-old was one of the suspects shooting, or if he was caught in the cross fire, but no arrests have been made as of Friday afternoon.

Multiple guns and shell casings were recovered from the scene that stretched three blocks.

“There was the potential for a lot of people getting shot, but it didn’t happen,” Brock said. “We’re just lucky that nobody else got hurt. That was a huge crowd down there on Thanksgiving night.”

The Selma Police Department will also do its own investigation into the policies and procedures the officer followed.

“I’ve assigned our internal affairs guy to assist the SBI,” Brock said. “He’s going to do an internal investigation just to make sure policies and procedures were followed and make sure the officer is in good health.”

Brock said once the investigation is completed by the SBI, the findings will be handed over to Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson.