Posted by : Matthew Nazzaro  On April 24th, 2023 9:27 am

      

An Essex County man was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm during a motor vehicle investigation on High Street near Elm Street in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 22^nd, 2023.

At approximately 0338 hours, units were canvassing the area of Stratford Terrance and Elm Street on the initial report of a burglary-in-progress to a motor vehicle.  Officer Christopher Gross observed a parked and occupied Silver 2008 Ford on High Street near Elm Street.  As Officer Gross began his investigation, Officer Michael Gamba was dispatched as his back-up.  During the course of this investigation, Officer Gross ordered the driver, later identified as 39 year old Robert Roberson of Newark, New Jersey, out of the vehicle.  As Roberson exited the driver’s seat of the Ford, Officer Michael Gamba observed the grip of a black handgun protruding from Roberson’s waistband.  Officer Gamba immediately alerted Officer Gross and Roberson was quickly handcuffed, disarmed and taken into custody without incident.  Roberson was found to be in possession of a M&P Shield .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun loaded with a 7-round magazine containing a hollow point bullet. 

Officer Gross subsequently conducted Standardized Field Sobriety Tests on Roberson and determined him to be under the influence of alcohol. 

Roberson was charged with 2^nd Degree Possession of a Firearm, 2^nd Degree Certain Persons Not To Possess Firearms, 4^th Degree Possession of a Hollow Point Bullets, and Driving While Intoxicated.  At the time of this arrest, Roberson was committed to the Union County Jail pending a detention hearing.

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Release by Captain Matthew R. Nazzaro

m-nazzaro@cranfordnj.org / 908-709-3990