An Ottawa man is facing a slew of criminal charges after police recovered a handgun, three shotguns, about 60 rounds of ammunition, cash and drugs during a traffic stop near Bank Street and Walkey Road in the early morning hours of Feb 28.
A handgun, three shotguns, ammunition, drugs and cash were netted by Ottawa police during a routine traffic stop at Bank Street and Walkley Road last week.
“This is an impactful traffic stop taking what are more than likely crime guns off the streets,” said acting Staff Sgt. Kenny Bryden, head of the Ottawa police guns and gangs unit, which is leading the investigation.
East division patrol officers stopped a Honda sedan near the intersection around 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 28.
The male driver, who was alone in the car, was arrested at the scene for obstructing police.
“He falsely identified himself to police at first,” Bryden said of the suspect, who he said is known to police but not to the guns and gangs unit. “Once identified, he was found to be driving while being prohibited.”
The officers discovered a handgun, controlled substances and Canadian currency.
“Some items were in plain view (in the car),” said Const. Chuck Benoit, Ottawa police spokesperson.
The patrol officers alerted investigators with the Ottawa police guns and gangs unit about the incident, who then executed a warrant that allowed them to search the vehicle.
Three shotguns, more drugs and additional Canadian currency were recovered, according to police.
“Usually we tow a vehicle, keep it in a secure location where it’s untouched ’til the investigators come with a warrant,” Benoit said of the process involved in a more extensive search.
The total haul turned up a black .440-calibre revolver, three shotguns, approximately 60 rounds of ammunition for all of the weapons recovered, about 200 grams of marijuana, eight grams of cocaine and 100 tablets of morphine, police said.
Bryden declined to provide additional details about the evidence in the case, including the drugs and guns.
“(Morphine) is a type of street-level drug that’s available,” Benoit said of the pain reliever seized in the case.
Some pharmaceutical drugs, such as morphine and OxyContin, that are sold on the street “are either taken through means of crime like a robbery or that they’re stolen at houses of people that have access to them,” said Benoit. “So there’s all types of possibilities as to why they have them in their possession.”
A 26-year-old Ottawa man has been charged with several firearms and drug offences.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the guns and gangs unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5050, or Crime Stoppers at 613-233-8477.
Source: Ottawa Community News