A Watertown man faces charges of having an unregistered firearm after it was spotted in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
On Dec. 18 at 1:52 a.m., an officer ran a check of a plate while driving on Mt. Auburn Street and it showed the vehicle’s inspection had expired. The vehicle was pulled over on Galen Street near Capitol Street.
When first questions the man falsely identified himself, said Watertown Police Sgt. Thomas Grady. The officer called for backup, as is the procedure during a traffic stop.
“As the backup officer approached side of the vehicle he observed what he thought to be a firearm on the floor of the motor vehicle behind the center console,” Grady said. “It was partially covered.”
Both the driver and the female passenger were asked to exit the vehicle.
The firearm was identified as a 9 mm Ruger pistol, Grady said. It was not registered to the man and it was loaded.
Police also found the man’s license had been suspended. Both the driver and passenger were questioned and the man was arrested. The woman was not detained.
Jock E. Pinkney, 46 of Watertown, formerly of Boston, was arrested on charges of possession of a loaded firearm, refusing to identify himself, driving with a suspended license – a subsequent offense, and no inspection sticker.