POUGHKEEPSIE – City of Poughkeepsie police took two guns and a large amount of crack cocaine off of the streets of the city this past weekend.
On Friday, July 17,at approximately 12:20 a.m., patrol officers stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. The vehicle was occupied by two individuals. The driver was charged with traffic violations including the misdemeanor charge of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. A 17-year-old occupant was found to be in possession of a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. The teen was charged with a felony of criminal possession of a weapon. Both individuals were released on appearance tickets.
According to Police Captain Rich Wilson, a Sunday afternoon incident that began with officers responding to a report of a man with a gun in the Pershing Avenue park resulted in the seizure of drugs and a handgun.
Wilson says that officers responded to the call at 5:43 p.m. Officers obtained a description of the man and broadcast it over the police radio. A man matching the description was chased on foot and was witnessed illegally entering an apartment on Muldowney Circle in Corlies Manor. The legal occupants of the apartment ran out of the building.
Officers found the man, identified as 25-year-old Jamil Johnson, hiding in a closet. While searching Johnson, officers seized numerous bags of suspected crack cocaine and a loaded .380 semi-automatic handgun.
The suspect requested medical attention and was transported to a local hospital by Mobile Life Support Services. After his medical evaluation, Johnson was transported by police to headquarters where he was charged with felonies of criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal trespass. Johnson also faces the misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment.
The Pershing Avenue park is the same location in which a man was stabbed to death earlier in the month.
Captain Wilson said “The City of Poughkeepsie Police Department is addressing the many challenges in law enforcement and the pressure on our community created by the pandemic. We will continue to apprehend criminals in a manner consistent with the law and reflective of shared community values.”
If you suspect that illegal drugs are being trafficked in your neighborhood or you want to report other suspicious behavior, the City of Poughkeepsie PD wants you to report it by calling (845) 451-4060.
