"He was vacuuming the interior of his car, so he was half in and half out of the vehicle and that's how they were able to sneak up behind him," Det. Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick said.
The victim identified himself as a police officer and told investigators he opened-fire when the man refused to drop the bat.
Four shots were fired and the attacker was killed with a single bullet.
His 16 year-old accomplice was later tracked down by police bloodhounds. The names of the suspects have not been released.
"The officer received multiple wounds. He has been admitted to an area hospital," said Fitzpatrick.
He has since been released from the hospital. His name was not released. The officer was an off-duty Nassau County detective who lives just a short distance from the crime scene.
Suffolk police say the pattern is familiar.
The dead man's accomplice allegedly told investigators they spent three hours on Monday night driving down streets and cruising shopping center parking lots. At one point, they were even following shoppers in search of an easy mark.
Police say the pair may have committed other similar robberies. Anyone with information is asked to contact Suffolk County detectives.
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