DENVER -- A woman leaving the Vinyl nightclub early Friday morning was hit in the leg after police opened fire on a man pointing a gun at the crowd.

"The preliminary investigation indicates that bullet fragments from the exchange of gunfire struck an uninvolved female who was standing in the immediate area," Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said. "Although the investigation continues, the shots producing the fragments appeared to have originated from the two officers who fired at the suspect."

Paramedics transported the female victim to Denver Health Medial Center with non-life threatening injuries.

The incident began when officers were on North Broadway near West 11th Avenue to control the crowd leaving Vinyl. Around 2 a.m. when officers said they heard gunshots from the Arby's parking lot across the street, police said.

"(They) found one male party who was pointing a gun at someone. They engaged him, and in the midst of this, shots were fired," Jackson said.

The gunman ran but officers said they arrested him a short distance away. He was taken to the hospital to be evaluated.

"It appears this all started in the club. Then spilled out of the club," said Jackson.

Both officers opened fire on the gunman, Jackson said. Jackson would not say if the gunman was shot by officers.

"You've got a public safety risk. You got a individual pointing a gun into the crowd at a group of people. You got to engage him. For the crowd's safety, you don't want to let him have the opportunity to hurt someone," Jackson said.

Police are still investigating the shooting.

The names of the victim and the suspect were not released.

Five people were shot outside Vinyl in December 2008.