Trenton Police Detective Shoots Drug Dealer

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Trenton police say a city detective shot and wounded a suspected drug dealer after the man pointed a loaded handgun at him.

Police Director Joseph Juniak said 32-year-old Aaron Veh Carter of Trenton, was shot several times, but his wounds were not considered to be life-threatening. He was taken to Capital Regional Medical Center at Fuld Hospital, but further details on his injuries were not disclosed.

The shooting occurred shortly before 10:30 a.m. Saturday, after police working on a burglary task force detail in the 600 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard saw an apparent drug deal Carter was involved in, Juniak said.

Carter ran off and apparently tried to conceal something in his waistband shortly before he was tackled by the detective, whose name was not disclosed. The detective then tried to handcuff Carter, who initially did not resist but then escaped and ran off again, Juniak said.

A brief chase then ensued before Carter pulled out his weapon, and the detective shot him with his department-issued weapon. Juniak said Carter had two loaded handguns in his possession, and both were recovered at the scene.

The detective was not injured in the incident, which remains under investigation city police, but his status was not immediately known late Saturday afternoon.

The shooting will also be investigated by the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office and has been referred to the State Attorney General's Office, which is standard policy in police-involved shootings.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)