A routine traffic stop over a busted windshield in Dorchester turned into a gun bust on May 1, when Boston police say they pulled a loaded Glock from a backpack and arrested a 23-year-old driver. According to Boston police, officers with the Youth Violence Strike Force working alongside the Massachusetts State Police Gang Unit stopped a vehicle near 48 Hartford Street after spotting a severely cracked windshield and an expired registration. When officers approached, they say the driver refused to hand over documentation and became confrontational.
Police say the situation escalated to a search of the vehicle, where officers found a backpack sitting on the rear passenger seat. Inside, they report discovering a Glock 22 .40-caliber handgun loaded with 19 rounds. The driver was identified as 23-year-old Jakai Boswell of Dorchester, who is expected to be arraigned on multiple firearm charges.
What police say
According to the Boston Police Department (Facebook), officers confirmed the handgun as a Glock 22 .40 caliber and say it was loaded with 19 rounds when they recovered it from the backpack on the rear passenger seat.
The department states that Boswell was arrested at the scene and is expected to face charges including carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of a large-capacity feeding device. The Youth Violence Strike Force conducted the stop with assistance from the Massachusetts State Police Gang Unit, according to the post.
A pattern of stops in Dorchester
Boston police have been flagging similar cases in the area, with recent postings on the Boston Police Department site documenting other Dorchester-area traffic stops that turned up illegal firearms.
Local coverage of earlier incidents paints a similar picture across nearby neighborhoods. Reporting on a January Mattapan stop that resulted in weapons being seized highlighted a string of enforcement actions stretching from Dorchester into Mattapan, with vehicle stops repeatedly leading to illegal gun recoveries.
Legal implications
Under Massachusetts law, carrying a firearm without a license is a felony that comes with mandatory minimum penalties. The rules are set out in Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 269 § 10, as published by the Massachusetts Legislature.
Possession of a large-capacity feeding device is separately banned under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140 § 131M, detailed by the Massachusetts Legislature, and can carry multi-year prison terms and fines.
Boston police say Boswell is expected to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court on the listed charges, according to the department’s Facebook post. The department did not include information about bail, additional charges, or court filings, and those records will provide any further details as they become available.
