North Charleston Police Department arrested 30-year-old Calvin Smith on Friday night during a traffic stop near Peppermill Parkway, after discovering a fully automatic machine gun under the front passenger seat of his vehicle. The stop was initiated due to unlawful window tint and lane drifting near the G Club, with the vehicle pulling into a Marathon gas station at Ashley Phosphate and Stall Road; officers smelled marijuana, and a search revealed the weapon, a conversion switch device, and a loaded magazine in the glove box. Smith, identified as a convicted felon, faces charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a machine gun, and was booked at the Al Cannon Detention Center.​
This incident reflects North Charleston’s proactive patrols targeting traffic violations that lead to firearm discoveries, as announced by the department on Monday. No injuries or further resistance occurred during the arrest.
