Boston Police Arrest 9 People During 5 Separate Gun Incidents In 24 Hours
BOSTON (CBS) - Boston Police arrested at least nine people during five unrelated firearm incidents in the last 24 hours.
The first arrest came at around 7:30 p.m. on Friday, when police noticed a White Jeep Cherokee that was flagged as a stolen vehicle. Police put their sirens but stopped following the Jeep when it began speeding up and driving erratically. After the Jeep crashed into a parked car, three people ran from the car, police said. Two were arrested and a third was identified and released.
Eighteen-year-old Jashaun Tyrell Benalfaw, of Providence, is facing several charges, including carrying a dangerous weapon. A 16-year-old boy from Roxbury who police said threw a gun while being chased by police, is also facing gun charges. They are expected to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court.
The next four incidents came within a three-hour span.
Right before 1 a.m. on Saturday, officers pulled over a car linked to a missing juvenile. Police said the passenger "quickly tried to cover his lap with a bag of chips" after the officers asked for identification. Jamaun Coakely-Thomason, 19, of Roxbury, was removed from the car and police said they discovered a gun with ten live rounds of ammunition in his pocket. He was then taken into custody on illegal weapons charges.
About twenty minutes later, police responded to calls about a shooting from Valentine Street in Roxbury. According to police, officers saw a large crowd fighting outside of Fort Hill Bar and Grill. Among the group, a man was allegedly holding a gun in his hand while arguing with another person. David Dardy Jr., 31, of Brockton was arrested after he tried to run away and was aided by the crowd. Police said at one point, a woman tried to trip an officer who was chasing him. Dardy Jr. also allegedly threw a gun away while running from police. Elvis DaCruz, 30, of Roxbury, was arrested at the scene for threatening officers during the investigation.
At around 2:50 a.m., police said they arrested two more individuals -- 29-year-old Dakwain Nwaford, of Dorchester, and 20-year-old Oreion Malachy Mark, of Roxbury -- and recovered another firearm at a traffic stop near Bowdoin Street and Adam Street in Dorchester.
The final arrest occurred just past 3 a.m. Police said they initially pulled over a car on Blue Hill Avenue when they noticed it didn't have an inspection sticker. Officers learned the driver only had a learner's permit and the passenger did not have a valid license. They were both removed from the car and two guns were found, police said. Tanzerious Anderson Jr., of Norwood and Ijahleel Reid, of Randolph, both 22, were arrested and face gun charges.
