A Chicago man has been released on $30,000 bond after he was arrested in Evanston early Wednesday morning after police say they found he was carrying a loaded handgun.
Police Cmdr. Ryan Glew says officers in the 500 block of Sheridan Road shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday spotted a gray Nissan that had had its registration suspended for lacking insurance.
When officers stopped the car and started speaking with the driver, Glew says, they noticed an odor of cannabis coming from inside the vehicle.
He says the driver, James L. Fulton, 24, of the 4700 block of West Race Avenue, admitted that he’d smoked cannabis earlier and was in possession of a handgun.
The gun police say Fulton was carrying.
Officers recovered a cigar containing less than 2.5 grams of cannabis from the vehicle, Glew says, and a loaded Jennings model J-22 .22 caliber handgun from Fulton’s person.
Fulton told police he had the gun for protection because he was a delivery driver. Glew says an investigation revealed that Fulton did have a firearm owner’s identification card but did not have a concealed carry license.
He’s been charged with felony aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, possession of cannabis and the auto registration violation.
He’s scheduled to appear in Skokie district court on May 8.
#NeverAgain.
#NeverAgain.
Thanks to EPD for their work — this weapon could easily have been used in a school shooting.
As we continue our focus on #NeverAgain, we should expect this individual, if found guilty, to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, with no early release.