Four men have been arrested after shots were fired at three plainclothes officers in Brooklyn late Wednesday night. NY1's Michael Herzenberg filed the following report.

More than a dozen evidence markers show bullet casings littering the street, bullet holes in the door and the front bumper of an SUV.

"It was like, you hear a bunch of bullets, it pause. A bunch of bullets, pause. A bunch of bullets, pause. A bunch of bullets, pause," said one person at the scene. "By the fourth time, I was saying to my daughter, I said, 'Somebody having a shootout with police.'"

That's exactly what happened under the BQE on Park Avenue near the Ingersoll Houses just before 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Investigators say three plainclothes officers in an unmarked SUV were conducting surveillance, seeking information about a triple murder there two weeks ago.

"They observed some suspicious activity from a person they knew to be a robbery recividist," said NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce. "They came around the block and set up a surveillance on that location, at which time, they began to exit their vehicle. One of those members, who's been identified as Keyshawn Smith, who lives in that development, opened fire on them."

Police say Smith squeezed off seven shots. Officers returned fire, striking him in the leg.

"When that was happening, we have another individual that we have identified and arrested who we believe fired four rounds from a 10-mm gun," Boyce said.

"I've been here 28 years. Never heard that many bullets," said one person at the scene.

Police say Smith used the .45-caliber handgun seen at left, which they recovered. They also found a pink bag filled with ammunition.

Smith was arrested when he turned up at Beth Israel Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the leg. By morning, investigators captured the second alleged gunman and another man who they say was with the shooters.

The arrests came as residents awoke to the news.

Resident: I'm going to go check on my car.
Herzenberg: Why?
Resident: Because my car was right where the scene happened last night. Such a shame.

"I don't know what's going on out here in this area, but they need to clean it up quick 'cause a lot of people are going to get hurt," said another resident.

Police officials praised the three plainclothes officers, saying they possibly prevented a planned shooting by the suspects. None of those officers were hurt.