CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – A Palmer man was arrested after police stopped his vehicle for suspiciously driving through a neighborhood slowly without lights on.
According to Chicopee Police, around 3:00 a.m. on Sunday officers saw a car parked in the middle of Taylor Street with their lights off. While watching the vehicle, a passenger could be seen getting out of the car and walking behind a parked vehicle nearby.
The vehicle in the street continued to slowly drive down the street with no lights on. Officers believed the passengers may be attempting to break into vehicles, so they conducted a traffic stop.
As the officer approached the vehicle, the driver allegedly was confrontational and refused to provide an identification. Several minutes into the conversation, the driver handed the officer a paper license that was found to not be a valid license. The driver, 28-year-old Brandon Thompson-Clay of Three Rivers, was arrested and placed into the officer’s cruiser.
During an inventory check on the vehicle, a loaded firearm reported stolen out of Vermont was found under the driver’s seat. Thompson-Clay or the woman passenger did not have a valid license to carry.
Thompson-Clay has been charged with the following:
- Motor Vehicle Lights Violation
- Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle
- Possess Large Capacity Firearm
- Carrying a Fire Arm Without a License
- Carrying a Loaded Firearm Without a License 2nd Offense
- Firearm Violation with 3 Prior Violent/Drug Crimes
- Possess Ammunition Without an FID Card
- Receive Stolen Property -$1,200
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