Neighbors on a quiet Stafford street woke up to a scene straight out of a cop show early Wednesday, when deputies say they found a half-dressed man passed out on the sidewalk with a gun and suspected narcotics in his possession. It did not take long for authorities to learn he was also a convicted felon, and he ended the morning in a jail cell.
Arrest and charges
According to Daily Voice, deputies were called to Abberly Drive around 8:15 a.m. on July 15 after reports of a stranger who was only partially clothed. Sgt. Williams arrived to find the man asleep outside and, when he woke up, deputies say he showed clear signs of impairment, including slurred speech and a strong smell of alcohol.
The Stafford County Sheriff's Office reported that deputies recovered a firearm and suspected narcotics during the encounter and identified the man as 30-year-old Douglas Boomer of Washington, D.C. The sheriff's office says Boomer was charged with public intoxication, weapon possession by a felon, sexual display and concealing a weapon while intoxicated. He was booked into Rappahannock Regional Jail on a secured bond.
How deputies say it unfolded
Deputies say the case started with concerned residents who called in a welfare check after spotting the half-dressed man on Abberly Drive. By the time Sgt. Williams arrived, authorities say Boomer was still asleep where neighbors had first seen him. The discovery of the gun and drugs, followed by the revelation of his prior felony record, turned what began as a bizarre public-intoxication call into a more serious weapons case. Boomer was taken into custody that same morning and transported to Rappahannock Regional Jail.
What the law says
Under Virginia law it is illegal for someone with a felony conviction to knowingly possess or transport a firearm or ammunition, as set out in Virginia Code 7 18.2-308.2. That provision allows prosecutors to pursue a felony charge for weapon possession by a convicted felon. In most cases, getting firearm rights back in Virginia requires some form of executive clemency or a court order after civil rights have been restored. Prosecutors will decide whether to press the weapons count along with the public intoxication and sexual-display allegations in this case.
Stafford's recent run of weapons arrests
Boomer's booking arrives amid what has been a busy stretch for Stafford County deputies dealing with guns and drugs. Earlier this summer, local authorities carried out several investigations that also turned up firearms and narcotics. Potomac Local detailed a mid-June operation on Indian Point Road that led to multiple arrests and the seizure of several weapons and drugs.
The Stafford County Sheriff's Office says this latest case is still under investigation and is asking anyone with information to call the office at (540) 658-4400. This story will be updated if prosecutors release additional details on the charges or upcoming court dates.
