Teen arrested for allegedly having handgun in Watervliet
11
WATERVLIET, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Watervliet Police Department said it arrested a 15-year-old for allegedly having an illegally modified semi-automatic handgun equipped with a device that turns the handgun into a fully automatic firearm. Police reported that the arrest was made following a traffic pursuit.
On Wednesday, just before 2 a.m., police said they tried to conduct a traffic stop on the Congress Street Bridge when the driver fled over the bridge into Watervliet before stopping near 19th Street and Sixth Avenue. The car allegedly reversed, almost striking a marked Watervliet Police vehicle.
Police said the driver then struck a marked Watervliet Police vehicle with the emergency lights and sirens activated before fleeing on foot. The passenger was taken into custody and found to have the illegally modified handgun, per Watervliet Police.
The unnamed 15-year-old from Albany was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was arraigned in family court and placed in the custody of a secure detention facility.
Police noted that the teen was charged with assault, resisting arrest, criminal trespass, and obstruction of justice in 2023. The teen was also charged with robbery and menacing with a firearm in 2024, per the Watervliet Police Department.