A D.C. police officer was shot and wounded Sunday night in the Petworth neighborhood of Northwest Washington, according to a department spokesman.

       Dustin Sternbeck, the police spokesman, said the male officer assigned to the 4th District was taken to a hospital. Just after midnight, the department said in a tweet that the officer had been treated and released.

       Wp Get the full experience.Choose your plan ArrowRight

       D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III said it appears officers confronted a man on Spring Road NW near 14th Street about 9 p.m. “He appeared to be very suspicious in terms of his behavior,” the chief said at a brief news conference.

       Contee said the man fired at the officers “before they could contact him.”

       Story continues below advertisement

       Kristen Metzger, a police spokeswoman, said the officer suffered a wound to his hand and a graze wound to his head. It was not immediately clear whether those injuries came from one or two bullets. She said the officer did not shoot.

       Advertisement

       Police said the gunman then ran a block north and into a multifamily residential building in the 1400 block of Quincy Street NW.

       Contee said officers were searching the building but were not sure whether the man was still there. Authorities set up a barricade and blocked off streets in the area. After midnight, the department tweeted that the barricade had been taken down but that “police continue to canvas the area.”

       A few patrons of Lyman’s Tavern at 14th and Quincy were on the patio and reported that about five shots were fired about 9:40 p.m., according to Jess Kleinmann, a co-owner. She said everyone was told to come inside and stay there, but a few people were eventually escorted out by police.

       Martin Weil contributed to this report.