Elmwood Park Man Allegedly Threw Gun During Police Chase in Paterson, NJ
Paterson NJ law enforcement arrested an Elmwood Park man who allegedly threw a handgun during a police pursuit.
The suspect is a 20-year-old man from Elmwood Park, New Jersey. According to authorities, a couple of Paterson patrol cops saw the suspect commit a traffic violation by failing to use his turn signal while turning onto East 19th Street in Paterson, NJ.
The Paterson police officers pulled over the suspect’s 2007 Honda Accord. However, before the officers could approach the vehicle, the suspect allegedly opened the driver’s side door and made a run for it.
The Paterson NJ police officers ran after the suspect and reportedly saw him carrying a semi-automatic handgun during the chase.
Police eventually cornered the suspect in the driveway of a home located on East 19th Street. At that point, the suspect allegedly tried to get rid of the weapon by tossing it into the air. The firearm reportedly struck a fence and landed directly in front of the police officers.
Paterson cops seized the weapon, a black Springfield Armory USA XD-9 9mm handgun, and arrested the Elmwood Park man.
During a subsequent search of the suspect, police allegedly found him in possession of 490 glassine envelopes of heroin and nearly $1,500 in cash.
The suspect has been charged with numerous crimes, including possession with intent to distribute heroin and a criminal weapons offense for unlawful possession of a weapon. If the suspect is ultimately convicted on the gun crime charges, he could end up spending several years behind bars because New Jersey has some of the toughest gun laws in the entire country.
For further information about this case, check out the NJ.com article, “Tossed Gun Lands in Front of Cops Chasing Man, 20, Police Say.”