Key Points:
- Police responded to a report of suspected illegal drug sales near 951 State Street.
- Officers said Isaac A. Holmes fled on foot before being apprehended near Craig Street.
- Police said Holmes was carrying cocaine and a loaded firearm when he was taken into custody.
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – A Schenectady man was arrested Wednesday after police investigating a report of illegal drug sales said he ran from officers and was caught carrying cocaine and a loaded firearm.
Isaac A. Holmes, 45, was arrested after a foot pursuit that began when officers approached him in the area of Craig Street, according to the Schenectady Police Department.
The investigation began around 4:55 p.m. after police received a report that a man was allegedly selling drugs near 951 State Street. Personnel assigned to the department’s Real Time Crime Center located the suspect as he traveled toward Craig Street.
Focused Patrol Officers Chase Down Suspect
Uniformed officers assigned to Schenectady’s newly established Focused Patrol Unit approached Holmes after he was located, police said.
Holmes allegedly fled, prompting officers to chase him on foot before taking him into custody.
Police said officers subsequently found cocaine and a loaded firearm in his possession.
Holmes was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a Class C felony, and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a Class D felony.
He also faces a Class A misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest.
The charges are accusations, and Holmes is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Police Chief Says New Unit Targets Neighborhood Complaints
Police Chief Brian Whipple said the arrest demonstrates the type of neighborhood enforcement the city’s new Focused Patrol Unit was created to handle.
“We created the Focused Patrol Unit on a trial basis to directly address complaints and concerns we hear from residents about illegal activity and quality-of-life issues in their neighborhoods,” Whipple said.
Those complaints can involve everything from loud music and aggressive panhandling to drug use and suspected drug sales.
“These issues can consume a significant amount of patrol resources, so this unit allows us to dedicate officers to addressing them proactively while keeping our patrol officers available to respond to calls for service throughout the city,” Whipple said.
The unit is currently operating on a trial basis, allowing dedicated officers to focus on recurring neighborhood complaints without pulling regular patrol officers away from emergency calls elsewhere in the city.
Holmes Faces Felony Gun and Drug Charges
The most serious charge against Holmes is second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, which police classified as a Class C felony.
His controlled-substance charge is a Class D felony, while the alleged attempt to flee officers resulted in the resisting-arrest charge.
Police did not provide additional details about the firearm or the amount of cocaine allegedly recovered.
The department also did not announce additional charges related specifically to the original report of suspected drug sales.
Isaac A. Holmes faces two felony charges and one misdemeanor.
Police charged him with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.
The arrest followed a report of suspected drug sales on State Street.
Police said the Real Time Crime Center located Holmes as he moved toward Craig Street, where Focused Patrol Unit officers approached him.
Schenectady’s Focused Patrol Unit is being tested as a neighborhood enforcement tool.
Chief Brian Whipple said the unit allows officers to proactively address quality-of-life complaints while regular patrol officers remain available for calls throughout the city.
Sources: Schenectady Police Department.
