Pittsburgh police say a SWAT team and the Fugitive Apprehension Unit arrested two 19-year-old men Thursday after serving a search warrant on the 3400 block of Webster Avenue in the Hill District, where a drone caught one of them tossing a handgun out a third-floor window mid-raid. Dior Davis, the target of an outstanding firearms warrant, was taken into custody without incident, while Elijah Gist now faces charges tied to the discarded weapon a police K9 later tracked down.
How the Arrest Unfolded on Webster Avenue
According to an official September 24, 2026 statement from the City of Pittsburgh, detectives from the Fugitive Apprehension Unit issued verbal commands for everyone inside the Webster Avenue home to exit through the rear door before Davis complied and was arrested without incident. Davis was formally charged with carrying a firearm without a license in addition to persons not to possess firearms, the city said, after having been sought on an outstanding firearms-related arrest warrant. As WPXI reported, police shared details of the operation Thursday evening.
During the search, a police drone recorded footage of a firearm being thrown from a third-floor window, and a K9 unit later found the weapon, per the city's account. Elijah Gist was arrested after the gun was tossed and now faces charges of persons not to possess firearms and tampering with physical evidence. Both Davis and Gist were taken to the Allegheny County Jail following their arrests, the city said.
Specialized Units Combined Aerial and Canine Tactics
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police maintains a dedicated Drone Unit alongside SWAT and K9 teams, and the department regularly deploys unmanned aerial systems for tactical surveillance during high-risk warrant executions across the city, per the same city release cited above. The Fugitive Apprehension Unit, meanwhile, works with federal task forces, specialized city units, and local patrol officers to track down people wanted on outstanding felony warrants, and it coordinated with SWAT to serve Thursday's warrant.
What the Charges Could Mean
Under Pennsylvania's 18 Pa.C.S. § 6105, the persons not to possess firearms statute bars people with certain prior convictions or court restrictions from owning or handling guns — an offense typically graded as a second-degree felony that carries up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine, according to Phil DiLucente & Associates. If Davis was ineligible for a license, his additional charge of carrying a firearm without a license under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6106 is generally classified as a third-degree felony, punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine; if he was eligible, it is a first-degree misdemeanor with lower maximum penalties, per MP2 Placidi & Parini.
Gist's tampering with physical evidence charge falls under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4910, which covers altering, destroying, concealing, or removing an item when a person believes an investigation is pending — graded as a second-degree misdemeanor with a maximum two-year prison term, according to Cohen Seglias.
A Previous Shooting and Regional Operations
A fatal shooting outside Ann's Market on Webster Avenue in November 2025 was reported by Hoodline. Pittsburgh and regional law enforcement agencies have carried out multiple joint SWAT operations in the Hill District this year to serve warrants and arrest people implicated in firearms and violent-crime cases, including a separate September operation in Penn Hills that netted a suspect wanted for a Hill District homicide.
It remains unclear what prior convictions or court orders triggered the persons not to possess charges against Davis and Gist, and whether the recovered firearm is linked to any other regional violent crimes has not been disclosed. A preliminary hearing schedule at the Allegheny County Jail had not been made public as of Thursday evening.
