A 19-year-old man died Sunday after he was shot in a Woodbridge, Virginia, neighborhood during what police called an undercover police operation into fentanyl distribution days earlier, authorities said.
Jaiden Carter, of Woodbridge, died, Prince William County police and his family said Monday.
Carter’s family retained a lawyer, who argued that police were not justified in opening fire. The Carter family is planning a protest on Saturday afternoon in Cloverdale Park in Dale City.
Attorney Joshua Wilson said he has not seen proof that Carter or others in a car with him in the 14700 block of Fox Glove Court shot at police, as the department said.
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Wilson released a minute-and-45-second-long video from a neighbor’s home surveillance camera that appears to show the moments police confronted the carful of people. Someone can be seen getting out of a light-colored sedan and into a small black car. The driver of the black car begins to pull away but is blocked head-on by a silver van.
Officers with guns drawn can be seen getting out of the sedan, van and a third vehicle.
“Get on the ground!” a man can be heard shouting.
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The small black car suddenly reverses into two parked vehicles.
“Hands up!” men can be heard repeatedly shouting.
Carter and a 30-year-old man were shot Thursday evening as a narcotics task force that included the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Prince William County police and Manassas police worked undercover, county police said, describing a shootout. No law enforcement officials were hurt.
Gunfire erupted at about 7 p.m. between law enforcement and the men “who were the subject of the operation,” county police said in a statement.
A woman who lives nearby described hearing several shots. Her 13-year-old son was outside at the time.
“Pow! Pow! Pow! It was a lot. He ran home, racing home, and I could see in his eye he was very scared,” the resident said.
Carter and the 30-year-old were taken to a hospital with injuries. The 30-year-old was still hospitalized Monday and was expected to survive, police said. A third man, an 18-year-old, was present during the shooting but was unhurt.
Two Prince William detectives and two Manassas detectives opened fire, according to preliminary information from police. Arlington County police will lead the investigation, and the detectives involved will be placed on routine paid leave.
No information was released on charges against the 30-year-old or 18-year-old.
“Additional details surrounding the incident and what occurred will be released as information becomes available,” Prince William County police said in a statement.
Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.
