St. John Police Find Handgun In Drivers Pants After Traffic Stop
St. John Police initiated a traffic stop in the 9700 Block of Wicker Ave at about 7:25 pm on Monday, March 15, 2021 for a vehicle with no registration plate visible, according to Spokesman Roger Patz.
During the stop, the officer noticed a faint odor of raw marijuana and called for a K-9 unit. When the K-9 unit arrived, the K-9 alerted on the vehicle and the driver and two passengers were asked to step out of the vehicle, Patz stated.
All three occupants were patted down for weapons and the front seat passenger, Charles Gill, age 18 of Cedar Lake was found with a Smith and Wesson handgun stuffed down the front of his pants.
A small amount of personal use marijuana and paraphernalia was located in the vehicle.
A computer check showed that Gill did not have a gun permit and he was subsequently taken into custody and transported to the Lake County Jail for possession of a handgun with no permit.
The very small amount of marijuana was destroyed on scene and there were no other charges, Patz said. The driver was issued a warning for improper display of a license plate (he had a temporary plate inside of the vehicle).
