Community Police & Fire

Gig Harbor Police Blotter: Officers find stash of guns, ammo and drugs in car

Editor’s note: The Blotter is written based on information provided by Gig Harbor Police and Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One.

Gig Harbor Police officers arrested a man on suspicion of possessing a stolen firearm on the evening of July 15 in the parking lot of the Fred Meyer store on Point Fosdick Drive.

An officer noticed the man because the black BMW he sat in bore an obviously fraudulent temporary license plate. When the officer walked up to the vehicle, a man and woman inside were attempting to hide drug paraphernalia.

As the male driver spoke with the officer, he repeatedly reached toward his waistband. When the officer asked both people to get out of the car, the female passenger reached toward the man’s waistband.

Concerned that they were reaching for a weapon, the officer instructed the suspects to keep their hands in plain sight and waited for backup. When they searched the driver, they found both a Ruger handgun and a knife hidden in his belt and under his shirt.

A check of records revealed that the gun’s owner reported it stolen in Portland.

Officer arrested the man on suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm and other charges. A Pierce County Jail guard later found fentanyl in his sock.

After obtaining a search warrant, officers found a stash of weapons inside the vehicle. Officers seized another stolen gun, several s0-called “ghost guns” with serial numbers filed off and more than 700 rounds of ammunition.

The search of the vehicle also turned up drugs, apparently packaged for distribution, as well as “some paperwork supporting the drug trafficking being conducted by the driver.”

The Gig Harbor Police Department posted this image of weapons and ammunition seized following an incident outside a grocery store recently.

Officer arrests man carrying stolen gun

A Gig Harbor Police officer may have saved two lives in as many days last week.

On July 11, the officer investigated a single-car collision on Highway 16. The car reportedly was traveling faster than 100 MPH when it careened off the freeway and hit a tree.

The officer found the driver trapped inside the rolled-over vehicle with gasoline dripping on him. His seatbelt appeared to be interfering with his breathing.

The officer climbed inside, cut the driver free of the seatbelt and pulled him to safety. Gig Harbor Fire and Medic One took him to the hospital.

The very next day, the same officer responded to a report of a woman attempting to climb over the railing of the Narrows Bridge. When the officer spoke with her, she swung a leg over the railing as if to jump.

The officer pulled her away from the edge. Medics took her to a hospital.

It wasn’t even that hot

An unknown suspect stole an air conditioner from the Wilco on Hunt Street at around 11:30 a.m. July 9.

Employees told police that the unit is worth about $750. They didn’t see what vehicle he left in and could provide only a vague description of the suspect.

According to the National Weather Service, the high temperature on July 9 was a relatively comfortable 79 degrees.