Police chase down and arrest 40-year-old alleged drug dealer with defaced firearm
By Jayed Rahman
Published: September 6, 2015
An alleged drug dealer armed with a semi-automatic handgun was arrested on Clinton Street by police officers following a chase on Saturday night, said police director Jerry Speziale.
David Turner, 40, who resides on East 25th Street, was hanging about with a large group of people at the intersection of Clinton and North 6th Streets, at about 11:40 p.m., when police officers patrolling high crime areas approached.
Turner immediately placed an object in his waistband and began to flee the on foot, said the director. Police officers ordered him to stop, but he refused leading to a chase. As he was fleeing on foot, Turner discarded a defaced semi-automatic handgun and a plastic bag containing 11 grams of unpackaged marijuana, said police.
Police officers Mohan Singh, Eric Montoya, Salvatore Macolino, and Sal Judah recovered the items Turner discarded and managed to arrest him in the rear yard of a Jefferson Street home, said the director.
Turner was charged with various weapon and drug offenses as well as resisting arrest by flight, said the director.
Speziale said the recovered .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun with its serial number defaced will be submitted to the ballistics laboratory for further examination to determine whether the weapon was involved in other crimes.
Police officers from the city’s Narcotics and Ceasefire Units were conducting their citywide weekend special crime suppression detail at the time of Turner’s arrest. “Crime suppression initiatives have proved to be successful and we will expand upon these efforts with enforcement teams as we roll out the safe city street initiative over the next few months,” said Speziale.
The director praised the police officers and said removing such a powerful weapon from the street was a major accomplishment.
“Such a large caliber weapon could not only cause death, but travel and hit an innocent person,” said Speziale.