Police patrolling the Norre Gade area Wednesday afternoon arrested two men on a variety of weapons charges Wednesday after a routine traffic stop.
At about 12:08 p.m. Wednesday, an officer saw a vehicle traveling west on Norre Gade and noticed that neither the driver nor passenger were wearing seat belts. A traffic stop was initiated in the area of Veterans Drive by the officer.
While the officer was speaking to the driver of the vehicle, the passenger fled on foot, holding his waist. Officers in the area pursued the man, who was seen to discard an item which turned out to be a firearm. The passenger was apprehended in the area of Curacao Gade.
In the vehicle police found two more firearms, bringing to three the number of firearms recovered by officers. According to the police, the weapons were a Glock 10 mm handgun, an FN 5.7 x 28 pistol, and a Kel Tech .223 caliber rifle. The rifle had an obliterated serial number.
Police arrested Jibri Roberts, a 22-year-old from Bonne Esperance, and Desi Henry Jr., a 20-year-old from Annas Retreat, 20. Both were charged with three counts of possession of an unlicensed firearm. Bail was set at $75,000 each by order of the court. They were remanded to the Bureau of Corrections pending their Advice of Rights Hearing in Superior Court.
Police Commissioner Rodney F. Querrard Sr. commended the officers involved in the arrests and the recovery of the firearms, especially those who initiated the traffic stop because of a traffic violation.
"These are serious firearms, the kinds that should be on the battle field, not in our community and in the hands of our young men. I can assure you that the firearms seized are three less we as a community have to face, and three less we have to hear being discharged in our neighborhoods," Querrard said.
