A Jersey City police officer is recovering after accidentally shooting himself while trying to capture a fugitive near a apartment building in Elizabeth.

Lt. Edgar Martinez says officer Jesse Soto was working with the U.S. Marshals Service when he shot himself in the abdomen last night. Martinez says the bullet from the handgun did not hit any vital organs, and Soto was treated and released from University Hospital.

The 38-year-old officer was assisting the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force in the arrest of a female fugitive in Elizabeth who failed to appear in court. She was apprehended.

The Union County Prosecutor's Office says the incident is under investigation.

Officials: Jersey City police officer shot in Elizabeth