A 17-year-old Brockton resident is facing multiple charges after Abington police say he brought a loaded gun into a Walmart on Brockton Avenue, then bolted from officers as a loaded handgun fell from his waistband mid-chase. An officer finally caught up to him after he burst through an emergency exit into the parking lot.
Officers were called to the store after a report of a person with a gun, according to WCVB, which said police later determined the teen had brought the loaded weapon into the store. As officers moved in to investigate, the station reported that the teen ran from the scene, and body-camera video provided by Abington police shows an officer pursuing him through the store.
During that pursuit, police said the loaded gun fell from the teen's waistband. The chase did not end inside the store — the teen kept running and made it out through an emergency exit before an officer caught him in the parking lot, per the station's report.
Charges Stack Up After Arrest
The teen was taken into custody and now faces charges that include resisting arrest, illegal possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition, along with several additional charges that were not detailed, according to the same account.
At 17, the Brockton resident would generally be treated as a juvenile in Massachusetts, but the route through court can depend on the allegations and the youth’s history. State law allows a “youthful offender” case for certain 14-to-18-year-olds accused of qualifying felonies, including some firearm-law violations; a judge may then have authority to impose an adult or juvenile sentence. Massachusetts’ juvenile justice rules distinguish those cases from ordinary delinquency proceedings.
Massachusetts law generally prohibits knowingly possessing a firearm without an applicable license or statutory exemption. State law also treats a loaded firearm differently from an unloaded one under the possession statute, providing an additional penalty for certain convictions involving a loaded weapon. The charges described by police are allegations, however; the court would determine whether the evidence supports them and what provisions apply. The statute governing firearm possession sets out those rules.
The teen had brought a loaded gun into the store.
