Police Arrest Drunk Driver, Found in Possession of Unlicensed Semi-automatic Firearm and Ammunition
In the early morning of Wednesday, July 17, 2024, Westwood Police on patrol on Washington Street arrested a Roslindale man for several charges, including driving while intoxicated and unlicensed possession of a semi-automatic firearm, after the man put his car in a path that risked head-on collision with the police cruiser.
According to Westwood Police Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy, around 2:55 a.m. on July 17th, a Westwood Police officer was traveling northbound on Washington Street when the officer observed a vehicle from the southbound lane cross the double-yellow line into the officer's lane. The other vehicle continued in path that risked a head-on collision with the police cruiser.
To avoid a collision, the officer took evasive action, and drove the cruiser off the road and into a parking lot. The officer then returned to the road with blue lights and sirens activated, making a U-turn to make the traffic stop of the other vehicle, just before the Norwood town line.
The operator of the stopped vehicle placed his hands outside the window. He had his driver’s license and registration visible when the officer approached.
Following field sobriety tests, the officer concluded that the driver was intoxicated and arrested the driver for driving while under the influence.
The officer then discovered a 9mm pistol in the driver's vehicle. There were also 13 rounds of 9mm hollow-point ammunition inside a magazine. The driver did not have a license for firearm possession.
The driver, a 40 year-old from Roslindale, was arrested and transported to the Westwood Police Station. He was not eligible for bail and spent the night in jail. Police transported him to Dedham District Court the next morning.
Westwood Police have charged the man with: (1) carrying a semi-automatic firearm with capacity above 10 rounds; (2) possessing a firearm without a Firearms Identification Card (FID); (3) possessing ammunition without an FID; (4) improper storage of a firearm; (5) driving under the influence; (6) operating to endanger; (7) and a marked lanes violation.