A fire extinguisher was among items thrown at police during disturbances in North Belfast on Saturday.
A number of young people were involved in the incident in New Lodge, which took place while Neighbourhood policing teams were on patrol in the area.
A PSNI spokesman said: "Last night our Neighbourhood Teams came under attack in the New Lodge.
"Youths threw things at us, including this fire extinguisher Thankfully we were able to retrieve it before it ended up hitting a member of the public.
"This kind of mindless behaviour impacts on the whole community here, including families and older and vulnerable people.
"These teenagers put other road users in danger and clearly didn't care who else, or what else they hit.
"As we expand Neighbourhood Teams here in North Belfast we will be able to clamp down further on this kind of behaviour, including bringing in evidence gathering capability so we can identify those involved."
