RACINE - Police recovered a loaded handgun after chasing a teenager through a Fourth of July party Friday afternoon.

Nicholas J. Folk, 17, of 1631 Chatham St., is charged with obstructing an officer, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of narcotics. He faces up to $30,000 in fines and five years imprisonment, plus suspension of his driver's license, if convicted.

Officers were sent to the area of Dodge and Main streets at about 2:45 p.m. Friday for a report of four men with shaved heads carrying handguns. An officer searched the area but did not find anyone matching the description.

About 20 minutes later, the officer saw Folk walking west on Kewaunee Street. He had his hand on his right hip as if holding something, and his shorts were sagging more on the right than on the left, indicating a heavy item in his right pocket.

Folk initially walked toward the officer, but when the officer tried to gain control of Folk's right arm he pulled away and fled north on Erie Street. The officer chased him through a Fourth of July party.

As Folk ran, the officer said he put his entire hand into his right front shorts pocket. Folk stopped when he came to a 6-foot high wooden stockade fence. He tossed a small blue handgun over the fence and tried to climb the fence. The officer pulled Folk down from the fence. Folk continued to struggle, and the officer struck his shoulder several times before being able to put Folk in handcuffs.

While waiting for additional cover squads, members of the Fourth of July party became upset that police were on their property and began advancing toward them. Additional responding officers were able to stop the partygoers from advancing. Officers then found the gun Folk is believed to have thrown over the fence. The magazine was loaded and one live round was in the chamber.

When searching Folk, officers found a yellow tablet of Endocet, a controlled narcotic.