BOSTON, MA – Two men were arrested early Sunday after a routine traffic stop in Dorchester turned into a short chase and the recovery of a loaded firearm with its serial number removed, police said.
Around midnight, officers from District B-3 (Mattapan) observed a vehicle run a red light at Bowdoin and Washington Streets. The officers followed and stopped the car at 35 Harvard Street, where the situation quickly escalated.
As the vehicle came to a stop, the front passenger bolted from the car on foot. Two officers pursued the fleeing suspect, who slipped while attempting to dart between parked vehicles and was quickly taken into custody. Meanwhile, officers who remained with the vehicle ordered the remaining occupants out and conducted a pat frisk.
Police recovered a Smith & Wesson SD40VE handgun from the waistband of 18-year-old Tyler Powell of Dorchester. Investigators determined the gun’s serial number had been obliterated and that it was loaded with nine rounds.
The driver, identified as 28-year-old Santoneio Sumerlin, also of Dorchester, was found to have a suspended license and was charged accordingly. The passenger who fled was released from the scene after questioning.
Powell faces multiple firearm charges and is scheduled to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court.
• Officers stopped car that ran red light at Bowdoin and Washington Streets
• Loaded handgun with obliterated serial number recovered from suspect’s waistband
• Two Dorchester men arrested and facing charges following the midnight stop