CHICAGO (STMW) – Police opened fire on but did not strike a 17-year-old who pointed a fake gun at them in a Northwest Side alley Saturday night. The 17-year-old was later found hiding in the area and faces a number of charges, while another male he was with remained at large Sunday.

About 7:30 p.m. Saturday, officers on patrol in the area saw the two males acting suspiciously in an alley in the 5300 block of North Natoma Avenue, police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli said.

The two fled as officers came to investigate. At one point, the 17-year-old reportedly turned and aimed a weapon — later discovered to be fake — at the officers. Mirabelli said the officers feared their safety and fired shots at the young man, but their bullets did not strike him or his companion.

The 17-year-old was later found hiding in the area, while the other male remained at large Sunday, Mirabelli said. The faux gunman, charged as a juvenile, faces two counts of aggravated assault of a police officer, and one count each of resisting/obstructing an officer and possession of a replica/pellet gun. The arrest report did not specify if the gun was a replica or a pellet gun.

All of the charges are misdemeanors, Mirabelli said.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)