A man was pistol-whipped by two other men early this morning in Seattle in an assault that spilled over from a argument at a nightclub, police said.

At about 12:50 a.m., SPD officers responded to a reported shooting in the 100 block of James Street. They found the victim, a man in his 20s, on the ground bleeding from a wound to the back of the head.

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Police initially believed he had been shot since there had been earlier reports of gunfire. However, witnesses later told police that the victim had been pistol-whipped by two suspects described by police as young Asian males. Witnesses told police the two suspects were each armed with a semi-automatic pistol.

The victim's injury was not life-threatening. Fire Department medics examined him and then took him to Harborview Medical Center.

Gang Unit detectives recovered a spent bullet that had apparently struck the ground without hitting anyone or anything.

Witnesses told police the assault grew from an argument between two groups of at a nearby nightclub. The argument flared up again after the groups left the nightclub. One man pulled out a pistol and struck the victim in the head. The other suspect did the same thing, but he fired a round while striking the victim.

Police said the shooting appears to be accidental. The suspects and a female companion left the area on foot. Police do not know if they had a vehicle nearby.