An early-morning traffic stop in Dorchester for speeding ended with Boston police pulling a loaded handgun from the back seat and arresting a 20-year-old Roxbury man who, officers say, first tried to pass himself off under a fake name.
According to police, officers spotted a vehicle speeding along Washington Street and stopped it at about 12:27 a.m. on June 21, 2026. All four occupants were ordered out of the car near 18 Euclid Street. Investigators say they searched the right rear passenger area and found a bag holding a Sig Sauer P239 .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with five rounds. The rear passenger was taken into custody, and the driver received a Massachusetts Uniform Citation for traffic violations.
What police say
According to Shore News Network, which cites the Boston Police Department, officers from District B-3 removed all four occupants from the car as part of their investigation. Police say the rear passenger, later identified as Tyshawn Barton, 20, of Roxbury, initially gave officers a false name before his identity was confirmed.
Authorities say Barton was wanted on a felony default warrant issued by Somerville District Court. He is expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court on multiple firearm and related charges.
A pattern in Dorchester
The stop is the latest in a series of traffic contacts in Dorchester that have turned up illegal firearms this year, as documented in department posts about similar incidents. Boston Police Department press statements detail other early-morning stops in the neighborhood that resulted in loaded handguns being seized and arrests being made, and local coverage has kept tabs on the trend.
Coverage from local outlet Hoodline notes several recent cases in which police recovered weapons and alleged drugs during Dorchester traffic stops.
Charges, court and legal notes
Police say Barton is facing counts including unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a Firearms Identification Card and furnishing a false name to police. He will be arraigned in Dorchester District Court.
Under Massachusetts law, G.L. c. 269 § 10 makes the unlicensed possession or carrying of a firearm a criminal offense and sets out felony penalties for certain types of unlawful possession and carrying. The Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court will handle the arraignment and initial steps in the case.
The vehicle’s operator was issued a Massachusetts Uniform Citation for traffic violations, and the other occupants were released at the scene, police said. Officials did not immediately say whether the handgun is tied to any other ongoing investigations. Anyone with information is asked to contact Boston Police District B-3 detectives.
