Prosecutors say the footage shows the moment a man pointed a gun over the hood of a car and shot another man five times
TRENTON - Surveillance footage from the South Ward of Trenton perfectly captured the moment two weeks ago when one Trenton man reached over the hood of a car and fired five shots into another man at close range, Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Brian McCauley said Friday.
Jarrett Darby, a 24-year-old city resident was charged with weapons offenses, attempted murder and aggravated assault in the case, which unfolded rapidly over the past two weeks.
Prosecutors discussed the case after Darby's bail hearing Friday morning.
It started around 1 a.m. on June 22 when police went to the area of Dayton Street and Virginia Avenue after hearing shots. As they were arriving, they saw a red car pull out of a parking lot and drive the wrong way down Virginia Avenue, McCauley said.
Police considered the car suspicious - especially following the sound of gunfire - and pulled it over to find Darby in the driver's seat. They found a handgun tucked in the side of one of the seats, McCauley said.
Initially Darby was charged with weapons offenses for having a gun while on probation, but that changed when police went to the area of the shooting and found a man suffering five gunshot wounds. He was shot four times in the arm and once in the back, McCauley said.
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He was taken to a hospital and treated for his wounds.
During questioning, Darby admitted to being the shooter but "minimized," his involvement, McCauley said. Police charged him with aggravated assault based on his statement.
But the charges again got more serious when police investigated the area and found a camera that captured the shooting itself. The surveillance footage showed Darby standing on the driver's side of the car and the victim standing on the other side. At one point Darby pulled out a gun, reached over the hood of the car and fired five shots directly into the victim, McCauley said.
He added that the evidence was so strong prosecutors plan to seek a conviction even if the victim decides not to cooperate.
Darby has a history of domestic violence and drug charges and is currently on probation, McCauley said.
During the hearing Friday a judge opted to reduce Darby's bail from $650,000 to $500,000.
Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.