New Bedford Police Arrest 17-Year-Old for Alleged Gun Possession

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — New Bedford Police took a 17-year-old into custody over the weekend after the juvenile was found in possession of a handgun.

According to New Bedford Police, gang detectives assigned to the Organized Crime Intelligence Bureau were conducting surveillance in the city’s South End on Friday, August 11. At around 9:30 p.m., the detectives stopped a vehicle on Dartmouth Street in the area of Rockdale Avenue.

During the traffic stop, a juvenile passenger attempted to flee the scene, police said. He was caught by the detectives. A subsequent search revealed the juvenile had a 9mm handgun in his possession, loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition.

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Detective Nathaniel Almeida took the juvenile into custody, and also arrested the driver of the vehicle, Gerron Harper, 29, of Worcester. Police said Harper was operating the vehicle with a suspended license.

The juvenile has been charged with carrying a loaded firearm and carrying ammunition without a license.

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Gun death rates per 100,000 are high in the U.S., and getting higher. Here's a list of states ranked by firearm safety, from lowest death rates to highest. Data for 2021 is from the CDC via Violence Policy Center.