Man Caught With Loaded 9mm in PG

A 22-year-old man is facing firearms charges after a late-night police chase ended with officers finding a loaded 9mm pistol in his backpack.

According to police reports, officers on mobile patrol along Front Street in Punta Gorda Town spotted two men on motorcycles shortly after one o’clock in the morning. The men sped off upon seeing officers.

One of the men fell from his motorcycle during the pursuit and attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended, police reported. He was identified as security guard Rushan Virez, 22, of the Indianville Area, Punta Gorda Town. Police conducted a search and found a BRG9 9mm pistol loaded with a magazine containing 18 live rounds in his backpack.

Virez could not produce a gun licence for the firearm or the ammunition.

He was formally arrested and charged on Tuesday with ‘Kept Firearm without a Gun Licence’ and ‘Kept Ammunition without a Gun Licence’