Alfred Toe, 34, was struggling with an off-duty officer for control of a handgun, authorities said.
TRENTON -- A man who tried to wrestle a gun away from an off-duty Trenton police officer at a family gathering in the city Saturday night was shot in the chest during the struggle and later died, authorities said Sunday.
The incident began when Constantine Toe, 30, was shot in the hand while disarming his brother, Alfred Toe, 34, of a handgun during a dispute at the gathering following a funeral, First Assistant Prosecutor Doris Galuchie said in a statement.
The off-duty officer, who was not named by Galuchie, was also attending the gathering with his girlfriend and intervened. The officer drew his handgun, ordered Constantine Toe to the ground and disarmed him, Galuchie said.
"While the officer had his own gun in one hand and the gun taken from Toe in the other, Alfred Toe attempted to gain control of one of the weapons," Galuchie said in a statement. "During the struggle, Alfred Toe was shot once in the chest."
Multiple police sources identified the Trenton officer as Shaheen Miles.
Alfred Toe was pronounced dead at a city hospital shortly after the 9:50 p.m. incident on Roosevelt Street, near in the city's West Ward. Constantine Toe suffered a non life-threatening wound from the initial shooting.
Galuchie said it remains under investigation which gun fired - the officer's or Alfred Toe's - during the struggle.
An autopsy on Alfred Toe is planned for Monday, Galuchie said.
The prosecutor's office investigating the shooting with oversight from the state Attorney General's Office. The New Jersey State Police processed the shooting scene.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.