Last night in Roxbury, a routine traffic stop turned into a significant arrest for the Boston Police Department. According to a press release from the Boston Police Department, officers from District B-2 apprehended Mandell Johnson, a 31-year-old Newton resident, after he was found with a loaded firearm during a traffic stop at around 10:10 PM on Thursday, August 15, 2024.
While patrolling the vicinity of Quincy Street and Blue Hill Avenue, officers observed a motor vehicle that was being operated in a manner the police characterized as reckless. With a turn into traffic without slowing down, the officers decided to pursue. After activating their marked cruiser's lights and sirens, the motor vehicle came to a slow stop near 4 Maybury Street. Operating the vehicle was a driver with a suspended license, who will be receiving a court summons.
Upon engaging with the vehicle's occupants, officers noted their nervous demeanor and inability to answer basic inquiries. A further investigation prompted a request for the occupants to vacate the vehicle. During the pat frisk of Johnson, the passenger, an officer immediately identified the contours of a firearm. Despite an attempt to evade capture, Johnson was handcuffed and detained without delay.
The recovered weapon was a Mossberg MC1-SC, primed with a round chambered and five additional rounds secured in the magazine. During inspection, officers observed with the serial number having been removed from the firearm, which is a violation of the law. Johnson faces multiple charges including Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, and Defacement of a Firearm Serial Number, with an arraignment set in Roxbury District Court.
