A late-night Vallejo traffic stop turned into a gun arrest after officers say they found a loaded firearm sitting in plain view inside a slowing, lane-drifting Chevrolet Tahoe. The driver was reportedly barred from possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction, adding a serious wrinkle to what began as a routine traffic enforcement stop.
According to the Vallejo Police Department, officers stopped the white Tahoe near Wilson Avenue and Daniels Avenue at about 11:25 PM last Thursday after observing it traveling well below the speed limit, braking repeatedly and failing to maintain its lane. Police said there had been reports of gunshots in the area before the stop, and officers then saw a fully loaded firearm with an extended-capacity magazine on the rear floorboard. The driver was detained without incident, and police said he admitted the gun belonged to him and that he knew he was prohibited from possessing it.
What The Firearm Charges Could Mean
The department said the driver was arrested and booked into the Solano County Jail on multiple firearm-related charges, but its post did not identify the exact counts. California Penal Code Section 29800 generally makes firearm possession by a person with a qualifying felony conviction a felony, while Section 25850 addresses carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle or on a public street. State law also restricts possession of large-capacity magazines, defined as devices capable of accepting more than 10 rounds, although police did not specify the magazine's capacity in this case.
The arrest follows a pattern seen in other recent Vallejo traffic stops. In May, Hoodline reported that a stop for a missed stop sign led officers to a loaded stolen handgun and suspected narcotics, while a March pursuit ended with police finding an unserialized handgun under a BMW seat.
Police said the Tahoe was towed from the scene, and the firearm and other evidence were booked. The Vallejo Police Department described proactive traffic enforcement as a way to identify prohibited firearm possessors, recover illegal guns and investigate reports of gun-related activity.
