‘GUNMAN’ SPRUNG
Twice freed despite illegal pistol, ammo
A man was busted twice in one week this month in the city — including for carrying an illegal gun and 55 hollow-point bullets — and dumped back on the street both times, records show.
Floyd Pickens Jr., 61, a homeless man from Glendale, Ariz., was arrested Jan. 9 while walking through Terminal B at La Guardia Airport in Queens, where he “engaged in conversation with a Port Authority cop’’ and revealed he was packing, the PA police said.
In addition to toting an illegal handgun, the suspect had more than 60 rounds of ammo on him, cops said.
Authorities charged Pickens with criminal possession of a firearm, then cut him loose with a desk-appearance ticket.
‘Who in their right mind?’
“Who in their right mind would give this guy a DAT?” a law-enforcement source griped to The Post on Sunday, referring to the PAPD cops who issued the ticket as opposed to putting him through the court system, which was an option.
Pickens likely would have been released without bail under the state’s controversial criminal-justice reforms, which may be why he was given just a DAT, other sources said.
But putting him through the system would have bought more time for authorities to check for out-of-state warrants and for how he came into possession of the weapon and ammo, the sources said.
“It buys time . . . allows for the system to discover why he’s here,” the law-enforcement source said.
Pickens also could have been barred from entering a city shelter with a court-system bust on his record, the sources said.
After he was released, Pickens made his way to a city men’s shelter on Clay Street near Paidge Avenue in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, police sources said.
Department of Homeless Services Police searched him as part of the screening process at the shelter at around 12:45 a.m. Jan. 11 and found he had another 93 bullets, including 55 hollow points and 38 regular rounds, on him, according to a criminal complaint.
He also had an array of police equipment, including six magazine holsters, nine gun holsters, five pairs of handcuffs, six handcuff keys and a bodyworn camera, among other things, the sources said.
DHS cops charged him with unlawful possession of an ammunition feeding device and possession of pistol ammunition, the complaint said.
Pickens pleaded not guilty and was cut loose again because the raps involved a nonviolent felony and are not bail-eligible under the state reforms.
His next court date is March 20 in Brooklyn criminal court, according to court records.
Neither Pickens’ public defender, Jeffrey Levicki, nor the PAPD returned requests for comment.