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Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith confirmed that among the four individuals apprehended, two were minors.
BRADFORD COUNTY, Fla. — A routine traffic stop in Bradford County on Friday night culminated in the arrest of four individuals, including two juveniles, and the recovery of multiple stolen firearms, according to Sheriff Gordon Smith’s announcement on Facebook Saturday.
Around 9:45 p.m., deputies initiated a stop on a silver BMW heading south on the U.S. 301 Bypass near mile marker 1, Smith reported.
The driver was identified as Elijah Beckford, with passengers Michael Hunter, Rodney Watson, and Jabari Reid, all hailing from Gainesville. Sheriff Smith noted that Rodney and Jabari are minors.
During the traffic stop, Jabari unexpectedly exited the vehicle’s backseat and sprinted across four lanes of traffic into the night. According to Sheriff Smith, the juvenile was carrying a rifle caliber pistol as he fled.
“Deputies immediately gave chase as Jabari ran alongside a high fence bordering a retention pond,” Smith said. “When deputies caught up to Jabari after a short foot pursuit, he was no longer in possession of the firearm and denied ever discarding anything.”
According to Smith, Beckford, Hunter, Rodney and Jabari had just stolen a loaded rifle caliber AR-style pistol and another loaded handgun just before the stop, and were also in possession of a third stolen handgun out of Marion County.
The four were detained on scene, while deputies and Florida Highway Patrol troopers continued investigating, Smith said. During this time, a victim reportedly called the sheriff’s office and reported that four males had just stolen his two guns and left in a silver BMW SUV.
“Despite all suspects attempting to mislead law enforcement, the rifle-caliber pistol was located on the edge of the retention pond and the other two handguns were located hidden under a seat,” Sheriff Smith said.
Beckford, Hunter, Rodney and Jabri have each been charged with two counts of grand theft of a firearm, according to Smith. Rodney and Jabari have additionally been charged with possession of a handgun under 18 years of age. Only Jabari was charged with resisting a law enforcement officer without violence and attempting to conceal/destroy evidence.