PHOENIX -- Phoenix police officers Monday mistakenly fired at a man who'd been held at gunpoint moments earlier, Sgt. Andy Hill said.

Hill said the 60-year-old victim was going for a morning walk when he spotted a man crouching in the bushes outside his home.

When the victim tried to go back inside, Hill said, the man in the bushes held a gun to the victim's head.

The victim's niece saw her uncle being held at gunpoint and fled the home. As she ran, she heard a gunshot, Hill said.

Officers arrived to find only the 60-year-old man at the scene and were initially unaware that he was the victim, Hill said. When the man reached into his pocket, an officer fired at him. Hill said the shot did not hit the man.

Officers then realized the man was the victim and the attacker had gotten away. He was described as being between 25 and 30 years old.

Hill said an investigation of the incident is ongoing.