SOUTHBRIDGE — Officers arrested a Southbridge man Wednesday afternoon after he allegedly brandished a firearm during an argument in a shopping plaza parking lot, police said.
At approximately 12:18 p.m., officers responded to a report of a male subject who had displayed a firearm at a woman in a threatening manner.
The woman told police she had accidentally struck the door of a nearby vehicle while exiting her car.
As the male suspect exited a business in the plaza, he approached her, and an argument ensued, during which he allegedly grabbed his waistband area, revealing a firearm.
Fearing for her safety, she entered a business and called 911, police said.
A BOLO (Be On the Look Out) was issued, and shortly after, a Charlton police officer spotted the suspect’s vehicle near Number 6 School House Road in Charlton.
The officer conducted a traffic stop and was assisted by the Dudley Police Department and Southbridge detectives.
The driver was identified as Devin J. Dodge, 25, of Southbridge.
According to police, Dodge admitted to being in an argument with the woman, and surveillance footage from the plaza confirmed the altercation.
Authorities recovered a loaded firearm hidden in the vehicle’s air filter compartment, police said.
Dodge was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (handgun), possession of a firearm without a license, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of an untraceable firearm.
He was transported to police headquarters for processing and is scheduled for arraignment Thursday in Dudley District Court.
