A New York man was arrested for driving while intoxicated in Jersey City last week, with officers later discovering that he had a loaded handgun in his car, Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari announced.Â
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
On February 9th at approximately 1:28 a.m., Lt. Joseph Steneck and Officer Leslie Constantine were on a roving DWI patrol in the area of John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Communipaw Avenue in Jersey City when a black Nissan Pathfinder nearly struck their marked patrol car, Schillari began in a statement.
The Nissan was stopped a short distance later at the intersection of JFK Boulevard and Clinton Avenue.
The officers noticed that the driver, Kenny Summers, 38, of Evan Mills, New York, had bloodshot eyes and a strong odor of alcohol. He was taken out of the car to be administered a field sobriety test, which he did not pass, and was placed under arrest, police said.
As officers were securing his car, they noticed a handgun in an open backpack on the front passenger seat of the Nissan. The gun was loaded and had hollow point bullets in the magazine, authorities said.
As a result, Summers was charged with possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, possession of a firearm without a permit, possession of hollow point bullets, and DWI.
He was also issued motor vehicle summonses for careless driving, having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle and failure to exhibit a registration card.
“This stop shows just how dangerous a normal traffic stop can be for law enforcement officers. Officers never know what they will face on a car stop. I am glad we took an impaired driver off the road and took an unlawful weapon off the streets,†Schillari added.
“We will continue these patrols randomly throughout the year. Since January 1st, the Roving DWI Patrols have arrested six impaired drivers and made three arrests for outstanding warrants.â€
