A Monessen police officer was injured when he was accidently stuck with a hypodermic needle during a drug arrest in Monessen.
Officer Aaron Thompson was treated at Monongahela Valley Hospital and later released.
Thompson was searching a vehicle 8 p.m. Thursday when he discovered an uncapped hypodermic needle. While trying to cap the needle, he was accidentally stuck in the finger.
The needle belonged to Jamey Boyd, the driver of the car, police Chief John Mandarino said. She provided blood to be tested for any diseases.
According to the criminal complaint, police observed a vehicle pull into the BP station, located in the 1700 block of Grand Boulevard. The vehicle sat at the gas pumps for several minutes without anyone inside it moving. Thompson asked the passenger, Denny Lee Naylor, to get out of the car and subsequently observed a hypodermic needle fall on the floor. The needle contained a substance that police alleged was heroin. Officer Jason Karas asked Boyd to get out of the car and she allegedly tried to grab the hypodermic needle off the floor of the car.
Both officers told her to drop the needle and as she got out of the car, police found several bags of packaged heroin and several bags of open heroin packages between the driver's side door and seat.
Boyd, 20, of Perry Street, Belle Vernon, was charged with DUI, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Naylor, 23, of Reed Avenue, Monessen, was charged with possession of a controlled substance.
Both were released on $2,500 unsecured bond.
Chris Buckley is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-684-2642 or cbuckley@tribweb.com.
