BUFFALO — A 20-year-old Buffalo man was charged Thursday morning with criminal possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm after he was found with a loaded semi-automatic handgun while attempting to flee an Erie County Sheriff’s deputy.
According to Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard, Deputy Aaron Naegely was in the process of serving a summons in the Black Rock/Riverside area of Buffalo around 7 a.m. Thursday when he observed a person of interest in an unrelated case driving a vehicle. When Deputy Naegely attempted to stop the vehicle, the operator accelerated to a high rate of speed to avoid him. While fleeing law enforcement, the operator crashed into two parked vehicles on Royal Avenue. The driver and the passenger both exited the vehicle and began to run from the Deputy however the passenger, Antonio Eckert, was captured.
BPD was called in to search for the driver with negative results.
While searching the vehicle, though, Deputy Naegely discovered a loaded .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun lying in plain view and after the discovery, Eckert was subsequently charged with criminal possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm. He remains in custody at the Erie County Holding Center in lieu of $50,000.00 bail.
