On Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at approximately 7:30 p.m., a Medford police officer observed a driver going the wrong way on City Hall Mall in Medford Square and initiated a motor vehicle stop. During the stop, the patrol sergeant who arrived for back up noticed a light typically mounted on a firearm next to the back seat passenger. Believing that someone in the vehicle might be armed, the officers ordered all three occupants out of the car. The driver tried to drive away, ignoring officers’ commands to stop. Officers managed to pull one of the occupants from the car, but he attempted to flee on foot. During a brief struggle, the suspect tried to pull a firearm from his waistband, but officers successfully took him down to the ground and recovered the firearm. It was later discovered that the firearm was a “ghost gun,” an illegal firearm that is privately assembled and untraceable. Ghost guns can be assembled from “buy build shoot” kits, other parts, or they can be 3D printed. Unlike other guns, these weapons do not have serial numbers.
During the incident, one officer sustained minor injuries.
A 17-year-old from Belmont, was arrested and charged with the following:
– Possession of a Large Capacity Firearm
– Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device
– Unlawful Possession of Ammunition
– Resisting Arrest
– Carrying a Firearm without a License
– Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle
– Failure to Stop for Police
Alex Paul, 20, from Cambridge, was arrested and charged with the following:
– Failure to Stop for Police
– Improper Operation of a Motor Vehicle
– Resisting Arrest
Mr. Paul is expected to be arraigned today in Somerville District Court. The juvenile will be arraigned in Cambridge Juvenile Court at a later date.