Lawrence police are looking for a man who Wednesday battered a convenience store employee with a handgun and then fired a gunshot before fleeing.

Police gave this account:

The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. as the male employee was outside putting personal items in his car as he prepared to close the Shell station at 1733 Mass., police said.

The suspect approached with a handgun and demanded money. When the employee resisted the suspect struck him with the handgun. The employee attempted to get back into the store when the gunshot was fired. The suspect ran from the area to the south. He did not get any money.

The employee was not struck by the gunshot but he was treated at the store for minor head injuries by Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical.

When police responded to the store at 11:17 p.m. they found one spent shell casing.

The suspect was described as a black man between 20 and 30 years old. He was about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighed about 160 pounds. He wore a long, black jacket, baggy blue jeans and dark gloves.

Anyone who has information about the incident is asked to call 843-TIPS.