The Baltimore Police Department says without more information it can’t verify that Republican presidential contender Ben Carson was once held at gunpoint at a fast-food restaurant in the city.

The retired Johns Hopkins Hospital neurosurgeon told Sirius XM Radio last week he was in a Popeyes restaurant years ago when a man stuck a gun in his ribs.

Carson says he told the gunman, “I believe that you want the guy behind the counter.”

Baltimore police said Tuesday they’ve searched several databases of incident reports at Popeyes restaurants as far back as 1987 in response to news media requests, but haven’t found any mentioning Carson.

A Carson spokesman says the incident happened “30-plus years ago.”

Police say earlier reports require a report number or the name of the person arrested.

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