CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A routine traffic stop early Sunday led to a man’s arrest for illegally carrying a loaded gun.
At about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, a University of Illinois Police officer observed a vehicle disobey a stop sign near the intersection of John and Neil streets, Champaign, only a few blocks from campus. After the officer stopped and approached the vehicle, he noticed a strong smell of cannabis emanating from the inside.
All of the occupants were asked to exit the vehicle so it could be searched. One of the passengers, Dazhan D. Moore, 23, of Urbana, alerted police that he had a firearm in his waistband and began reaching for it. Officers quickly grabbed his arms and retrieved the weapon themselves. Police also found a small bag of cannabis in Moore’s pants pocket.
The firearm was loaded with an extended magazine containing 31 rounds of ammunition. Moore does possess a Firearm Owners Identification, but is not permitted to carry a concealed weapon. Illinois law also makes it illegal to carry a weapon and cannabis in the manner that Moore was carrying it.
Moore was arrested for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and was taken to the Champaign County Jail. The driver was released with a verbal warning for disobeying the stop sign.
