Last night in South Boston, a routine traffic stop on Columbia Road escalated to an arrest after a firearm was found inside the stopped vehicle. According to the Boston Police Department, at around 8:11 PM, officers from District C-6 observed a car making a marked lane violation, prompting them to pull over the driver on the intersection of Dorchester Street and Old Colony Avenue.
Upon further investigation, the officers discovered that the vehicle was operating with a revoked registration, leading to the decision to tow the car. Howard McCoy, 50, from Taunton, was instructed to exit the vehicle before officers conducted an inventory search, a standard procedure before towing. During the search, the officers unearthed a Smith & Wesson MP9 firearm with one round in the chamber and eight rounds in the magazine; the firearm was confirmed stolen.
McCoy was subsequently arrested and now faces multiple charges, including Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, Improper Storage of a Firearm, Receiving Stolen Property, and Possession of Class E. He is set to be arraigned in the South Boston District Court, as the ramifications of what began as a minor traffic infraction crystallize into a more severe situation.
Details about the Class E substance found in McCoy's possession have not been disclosed. However, Class E substances often encompass prescription drugs that might be legal with a prescription, but their presence in this context has added another layer to the charges McCoy will face. The quick change from a traffic violation to a cascade of charges underscores the broader, tangled issues the city faces with unauthorized firearms and the shadow of illicit substances lurking in the backdrop.
