Following a traffic stop last Friday, a Takoma Park man has found himself handcuffed and facing several handgun charges, as confirmed by the Montgomery County Department of Police. The man, identified as 32-year-old Drimitri Lemaire, was nabbed by the 3rd District Community Action Team following community complaints about suspected illegal drug activities around Cornet Ct., and during the traffic intervention, Lemaire was caught with a handgun, according to a Montgomery County police report.
Officers were actively investigating the neighborhood when they noted a Hyundai Kona committing multiple traffic violations, after which they initiated the stop; during the stop, a handgun with an extended magazine was spotted in the front passenger's crossbody bag, it wasn't hidden well, just sitting there in plain sight, which gave the officers enough cause to arrest Lemaire.
Upon further inspection, the firearm in Lemaire's possession was determined to be a privately manufactured weapon. After being taken into custody, Lemaire was transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where, as stated by authorities, he is currently being held without bond.
The backdrop of this incident is peculiar, with it unfolding in a community that has vocalized its fears and frustrations over illegal drug-related activities, the police evidently responded to these complaints, leading to a situation where a routine traffic stop escalates into an arrest for serious weapons violations and the officers are working not just to enforce traffic laws, and they are vigilant against the specters of other crimes lurking beneath these calls for help. And, as the facts stand now, Lemaire is at the center of a legal maelstrom that has yet to fully unfold.
