Stopped for careless driving, man found to have rifle hidden in back seat

A 22-year-old Clinton Township is being held in custody after he arrested early Wednesday for having a semi-automatic rifle hidden in his car, according to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office.

The motorist was stopped about 1:15 a.m. after deputies saw the suspect driving a Nissan Altima cut off a semi-truck on Interstate 94 near North River Road in Harrison Township. Authorities said the Altima was in the middle lane of I-94 when he abruptly made a lane change, forcing the truck drive to brake hard.

Deputies made a traffic stop on the Clinton Township man concerning his careless driving. As the driver pulled to the side of the road, deputies saw “a lot of movement in the vehicle,” according to information in a news release.

The Sheriff’s Office alleged, a “firearm was observed laying on the passenger floorboard and was partially concealed with clothing.”

After being ordered out of the vehicle and detained, the driver told investigators the weapon was in the vehicle and wasn’t able to provide a valid concealed pistol license. The driver gave deputies permission to retrieve the weapon which was a loaded and described as a 5.56 caliber semi-automatic Troy firearm.

“A check of the firearm showed no record of the weapon, and that the driver did not have a valid concealed pistol license” investigators said in the release. “In addition, the driver had an arrest warrant out of Clinton Township.”

The driver was placed under arrest for carrying a concealed weapon and his vehicle was impounded.

He is being held at the Macomb County Jail with no bond and the gun was taken as evidence.

The report was turned over to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office for charges.

“As a reminder, if you do not possess a valid concealed pistol license and are transporting a firearm, it must be unloaded and enclosed in a case or carried in the trunk of a vehicle,” Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said in the release.

More information is available about legally carrying firearms by visiting legislature.mi.gov and searching section 750.227.