Police, suspect exchange fire in North Beach

(07-03) 10:29 PDT San Francisco -- Two men were injured early Saturday in a North Beach shooting that ended in a short exchange of gunfire between plainclothes officers and a suspect, San Francisco police said.

The shooting happened about 1:30 a.m. on the corner of Grant and Columbus avenues when a man opened fire and shot two other men, both of them in their 20s, in the legs.

Two plainclothes officers who were in the area on another investigation witnessed the attack and tried to stop one of the suspects as he fled the scene, said Officer Albie Esparza. The suspect shot at the officers, one of whom fired back at him. No one was injured in the gunfire exchange with the officers.

The officers caught the suspect, who is in custody, Esparza said. They also retrieved a weapon believed to have been used in the attack. Three other men also have been brought in for questioning, Esparza said.

The two men who were shot are being treated at a local hospital and did not sustain life-threatening injuries, Esparza said.

He said the shooting is under investigation. It's not clear whether the attack was random, or whether the suspect knew the men who were shot.

E-mail Erin Allday at eallday@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page C - 10 of the San Francisco Chronicle