NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — The North Charleston Police Department arrested an underage suspect Thursday for allegedly having a stolen firearm in his backpack during a traffic stop.
Charges Filed Against the Suspect
The child, whose name and exact age police are withholding because he is under 18, is charged with possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a felony, possession of a pistol by a person under 18, and possession of a stolen pistol.
Details of the Incident
A report states that an off-duty officer working at the Rivers Avenue Walmart made a call for service regarding a disturbance involving a weapon at the Dollar Tree in the same shopping center.
Police, who were told a GMC was involved, spotted a white GMC SUV attempting to turn left out of the area. However, when the police cruiser pulled up and turned the same way, the responding officer said the GMC “immediately changed directions” to go the opposite way “in an effort to avoid [the officer].”
Traffic Stop and Discovery of the Firearm
The officer followed the car as it went into the Walmart parking lot and saw two males inside. He initiated a traffic stop and spoke with both.
The report states the driver said the disturbance was over his cousins selling candy in front of the Dollar Tree. When the officer got permission to open the back door, they noticed the candy sitting in the back seat.
While the officer was speaking with the driver, he noticed the suspect, who was later identified as the driver’s brother, messing with his bag when the officer asked if any weapons were involved.
Suspect Attempts to Flee
Both the driver and the suspect were asked to exit the vehicle. The officer also asked the driver for permission to search the car, which the driver granted.
The driver and the suspect were both frisked. When the suspect’s frisk was complete, the officer said he asked the suspect to step to the back of the car.
In the report, the officer said that the suspect then grabbed the open black backpack and reached into it, only stopping when the officer told him he could not take the bag.
Arrest and Weapon Found
Hearing this, the suspect allegedly grabbed the bag and tried to flee, shoving past the officer.
The officer wrestled the suspect to the ground, trying to control the boy’s hands and the bag, according to the report. The officer said he felt a hard metal object in the bag that he believed to be a weapon.
Police said the firearm was identified as an American Tactical .556-caliber weapon and had been reported stolen out of Dorchester County. The weapon was unloaded, but a magazine with five live rounds was with it.
Juvenile Detention
The boy was booked into the Charleston County Department of Juvenile Justice.
