UTICA, NY — A 30-year-old man faces weapons and driving while intoxicated charges after police found him asleep behind the wheel at an intersection.
Utica Police units were dispatched to the intersection of Park Avenue and Hopper Street at approximately 4:20 a.m. on Dec. 10 regarding a male asleep at the wheel.
Upon arrival, officers located the vehicle and the male still sleeping while the vehicle was idling at the intersection.
Officers knocked on the window until the operator awoke and then obtained his license and information.
As the officer was returning to his vehicle to conduct checks of the driver’s status, the operator pulled away and began to drive from the scene.
Officers pursued the vehicle until it came to a stop on Rutger Street and Brickerhoff Avenue.
Due to the driver’s suspended status, he was requested from the vehicle, and upon exiting, officers noticed an open alcoholic container inside a paper bag.
Due to the weather conditions and suspended status, the operator, Michael Stubbs, 30, of Utica, was placed into custody, and arrangements for field sobriety tests to be conducted at the Utica Police Department were made.
As per policy, an inventory of the vehicle was undertaken due to it being towed, and while doing so, officers located a loaded handgun in the center console.
The weapon was seized, and Stubbs was transported to the station.
Once at the station, it was determined that Stubbs was under the influence of alcohol.
At the conclusion of the investigation, he was charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, criminal possession of a firearm, driving while intoxicated and vehicle and traffic law violations.
