The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Man charged after cops find assault weapon, ammunition
NEW HAVEN — A city man was arrested after allegedly being caught with an “AR pistol” and dozens of rounds of ammunition after officers investigated a tip from Virginia, according to the New Haven Police Department.
Dante Hammie, 33, of Bassett Street, was charged with criminal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of a large-capacity magazine and illegal possession of an assault weapon.
According to his report, Detective Freddy Salmeon received a call on Feb. 12 from a Virginia state trooper who told him he had stopped a Dante Hammie, who was in possession of an “AR-Pistol with approximately 200-300 rounds of ammunition,” but let him go, as he was not a convicted felon and thus was not violating Virginia law.
Hammie, driving a white Nissan Versa, told the trooper he was headed to New Haven, according to a supplemental report. Salmeon found Hammie is disqualified from owning a handgun in Connecticut due to a prior conviction, according to the report.
New Haven officers contacted the New York Police Department, who later indicated that the vehicle Hammie was driving had crossed the George Washington Bridge, heading north, just before midnight on Feb. 12, according to a supplemental report.
At approximately 10 a.m., Officer Paul Vitale found the Nissan outside the Bassett Street residence.
“Patrol officers surrounded the residence and did not let anyone enter or exit the home” at that point, according to the supplemental report.
Officer Scott Shumway noted that he previously had responded to the residence for a call of service. Detective Joe Landisio watched body camera footage from that call and found Hammie had been present at the time and noted he lived in the residence.
Hammie exited the home soon after 10:39 a.m., according to Sanchez’s report. He was cooperative with police, allowing
Hammie them to search his residence and vehicles.
Hammie’s girlfriend told police he had discarded the firearm after being stopped in Virginia, according to the report.
Sanchez, while searching a vacant apartment in the residence, noticed a “hatchway in the ceiling” that had been left partially open, according to the report.
“Detective Sanchez was able to prop himself up into the hatchway. The attic was dirty, and it appeared that items inside of the attic had been there for an extended amount of time,” an officer said in the supplemental report. “Using a flashlight, Detective Sanchez illuminated the attic and located (1) toothbrush case, (1) package containing men’s underwear, (1) AR15 style firearm, multiple magazines, and multiple boxes of ammunition. These items appeared as if they had just recently been thrown there, as dust and dirt was not yet settled on top of them as it had on other items in the attic,” the report said.
Hammie then told police “he put the firearm into the attic when he observed officers outside of his residence,” and said it was the same weapon as he had in Virginia, according to the report. He was arrested and brought to the department’s detention center, according to the report.
Police seized the firearm after obtaining a search and seizure warrant for the attic, as well as two magazines, each loaded with more than 30 rounds, and three boxes of ammunition, according to the report. The toothbrush case was placed with Hammie’s personal items in the detention center, according to the report.
Hammie is free on a $50,000 bond, according to judicial records. He is next scheduled to appear in court Feb. 26.