Santa Rosa Police Department's Special Enforcement Team pulled over a BMW sedan for a suspended registration on Todd Road and Moorland Avenue this past Saturday night. The driver, Taejon Johnson, a 24-year-old from Santa Rosa, was found to be carrying a loaded, un-serialized “Poly 80” 40S&W handgun inside a red satchel in the driver's compartment of his vehicle.
According to the SRPD News Release, the traffic stop occurred around 10:00 p.m. A probable cause search was conducted after Johnson was advised of the registration violation. The discovery of the loaded firearm led to his arrest for possession of a loaded firearm not registered to his person and carrying a loaded concealed firearm while in a vehicle
Un-serialized weapons such as the one found in Johnson's possession are often referred to as "ghost guns" because they are difficult to trace due to the lack of a serial number. These guns have become a troubling issue for law enforcement agencies as they attempt to clamp down on illegal firearm possession.
The Special Enforcement Team of the Santa Rosa Police Department was established specifically to address such illegal firearm possession and the associated rise in gun-related violence.
