Task force also recovers second weapon Wednesday night
NEWARK -- An Irvington man was arrested Wednesday night after a loaded handgun was found in his car, police said.
The man, Omar S. Simmons, 27, was stopped in his Buick near 14th Avenue and S. 7th Street around 8 p.m. because he was not wearing his seatbelt, city police spokesman Sgt. Ron Glover said. Simmons was pulled over by members of the Newark Violence Reduction Initiative, which includes personnel from the State Police, FBI, State Parole and the Essex County Sheriff's Office.
As officers approached the car, Simmons was seen taking a gun from his waistband and trying to place it in the console between the driver and passenger seats, Glover said.
Simmons and the passengers were ordered out of the car as police conducted a search, retrieving a loaded 9-mm handgun, Glover said. Simmons was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and other weapons offenses, as well as being issued motor-vehicle summonses. The passengers were released.
In an another, unrelated incident Wednesday night, members of the same team found an unloaded .380 automatic handgun on Camden Street after receiving a tip.
"One weapon at a time, we are making our city safer with each illegal weapon our officers remove from the hands of criminals. Be it a tip or good old police work, together we are making strides to improve the quality of life here in Newark," said Police Director Eugene Venable.
Police ask that anyone with information about this or any other crimes call the department's 24-hour Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 877 NWK-TIPS (877 695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877 695-4867).
Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. FindNJ.com on Facebook
