Man arrested for carrying gun
A 24-year-old Fayette County man was placed in Fayette County Prison on $200,000 straight cash bond Thursday after Uniontown police officers found a stolen loaded gun in his pocket. Jamaal William Johnson of 69 Rear Collins Ave., Uniontown, formerly of Wilkinsburg, was charged with several firearm-related charges, in addition to being charged with possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to Officer Michael Garrow Sr.
Garrow said he was responding to an unrelated incident at 69 Rear Collins Ave. at 4:37 p.m. Thursday when he approached Johnson, who fit the description of the man he was looking for.
In an incident report, Garrow said he approached Johnson with police K-9 Sheiko and ordered Johnson to take his hands out of his pockets and place them on the trunk of the police car while Sheiko stood on guard.
Garrow said he and Officer Ray Miller searched Johnson and found a loaded 44-caliber Magnum revolver in Johnson’s right jacket pocket. A small digital scale was found in Johnson’s pants pocket while patting him down, Garrow said.
Johnson, according to the incident report, was taken to the Uniontown Police Department where he and his clothes were further searched for contraband.
Garrow said Officer Thomas Kolencik found suspected crack cocaine hidden in the lining of Johnson’s pants pockets.
The cocaine was wrapped in plastic sandwich bags consistent with the way the drug is packaged to be sold, Garrow said. The gun Johnson had been in possession of was registered as stolen from Wilkinsburg, Garrow said.
Johnson was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Mark Blair and placed in Fayette County Prison after failing to post bond.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. Tuesday before Blair.