What started as a routine pre-dawn traffic stop in Laurel ended with a Silver Spring man under arrest after officers say they found a loaded handgun tucked beneath the driver's seat.
Anne Arundel County police pulled over a 2023 Chevy Malibu on the 3400 block of Laurel Fort Meade Road early Friday morning and reported recovering a weapon from a satchel under the driver's seat. The driver was taken into custody while the investigation continues.
What police say
According to an Anne Arundel County Police release, the stop happened around 1:10 a.m. Officers reported finding a loaded black 9mm Polymer 80 handgun inside a satchel beneath the driver's seat.
The release identifies the driver as 24-year-old Xavier Alexander Graves of Silver Spring and states that he was arrested and charged.
Local coverage
Local TV and radio quickly amplified the department's bulletin. WBFF carried the department's statement, while WCBM noted that it was not clear from police information why the officer initiated the stop.
Neither outlet listed specific felony counts in its coverage, and the police release likewise reports that Graves was arrested and charged without detailing individual counts.
Police activity in the area
The department's online news page shows multiple recent press releases describing weapons recoveries and arrests that began as traffic stops, suggesting that gun seizures remain a regular enforcement focus in the area. Anne Arundel County Police ask anyone with information about this case to contact detectives or use the tip line listed in the release.
Graves remains in custody, and police say the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department, according to local coverage. WCBM reported the agency's account of the arrest.
