On February 20, at approximately 3:20 p.m., members of the Uniformed Services Division were in the 2100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, when they attempted to conduct a vehicle stop. At this time, the vehicle disregarded and fled the area.
A short time later, the vehicle was located in the 2100 block of West 11th Street, where two male subjects fled from the vehicle on foot. Following a brief foot pursuit, police took 25-year-old Dewitt Johnson of Newark, DE, and 30-year-old Deshaun Alston of Marcus Hook, PA, into custody without incident. Police recovered a loaded 5.56mm AR-15 style rifle, and a loaded 9mm handgun that had previously been reported stolen.
Johnson has been charged with the following offenses in addition to traffic violations:
- Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited – Two Counts
- Possession of a Large Capacity Magazine During the Commission of a Felony
- Receiving a Stolen Firearm
- Resisting Arrest
He was arraigned in the New Castle County Court of Common Pleas and was committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $63,000 cash-only bail.
Alston has been charged with the following offenses:
- Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited – Two Counts
- Possession of a Large Capacity Magazine During the Commission of a Felony
- Receiving a Stolen Firearm
- Resisting Arrest
He was arraigned in the New Castle County Court of Common Pleas and was committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $104,000 cash-only bail.