A 911 report of a man pointing a gun turned into a full-blown weapons bust in Rancho Cordova on Monday, when officers stopped a vehicle, seized a loaded handgun, and hauled the driver off to jail, according to police. The driver, who officers say matched the suspect description, was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm, while the passenger was detained for further investigation.
According to the Rancho Cordova Police Department, a caller reported that a man had pointed a firearm at another person and provided officers with a description of the vehicle. Officer Drummond, backed up by other RCPD units, carried out an investigatory stop. During the search that followed, officers say they opened the glove compartment and found a loaded Bersa .380 handgun. Additional ammunition and a pair of brass knuckles were also recovered from the vehicle and an attached trailer.
Police say a records check then showed the driver was prohibited from possessing firearms. He was arrested and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail. The passenger, who was also detained at the scene, was held while detectives continued to sort through the details of what happened.
What officers say they found
Officers say the handgun recovered from the glove compartment was a Bersa .380, and that the passenger told them a firearm registered to her had been within reach of the driver. In addition to the pistol, police report finding ammunition and brass knuckles during searches of both the vehicle and the attached trailer.
The man behind the wheel matched the suspect description that the original caller had given to dispatchers, according to police. Officers detained him while they ran the records check that, they say, flagged him as someone barred from owning or controlling firearms.
The arrest is being handled under California laws that prohibit convicted felons from possessing guns. Police say the alleged violation falls under California Penal Code § 29800, which makes it a felony for certain prior offenders to own or control a firearm and can carry state prison time, as outlined by Justia.
Rancho Cordova officers have been turning up guns and other contraband with some regularity on traffic stops and quick-response calls in recent months. Earlier coverage detailed a local stop that also led to seized weapons and jail bookings in another case, where a traffic stop led to weapons violations arrest.
Police did not release the names of the driver or passenger in this case, and the investigation is still active. According to the Rancho Cordova Police Department, anyone with additional information is urged to contact local authorities.
