Utica Police Remove Three Illegal Handguns from City Streets in One Day

As summer is finally almost here the violence in the City of Utica continues to increase. However, Utica Police continue to make huge strides to combat that violence and take illegal firearms off the street.

Over the course of a day and a night, Utica Police successfully removed three illegal loaded handguns from the possession of alleged criminals.

The first removal happened Thursday just before 12:30PM when New York State Parole Officers requested backup from Utica Police at the intersection of Cross and Whitesboro Streets following a traffic stop. Police say they discovered a controlled substance in the form of prescription pills and a loaded handgun in a bag within the vehicle. As a result, police say 22-year-old Colby Harris was arrested and is facing three weapon charges, three counts of possession charges and several vehicle and traffic violations.

The second removal happened at approximately 7:20PM when Utica Police say they conducted a citizen stop on the corner of Arthur and Neilson Streets. Police say one of the individuals appeared to try and hide something and that warranted a pat & frisk search, which ultimately led to the discovery of a loaded 9mm handgun. 20-year-old Richard Grant was immediately arrested and charged with three weapon charges.

The third discovery was made during an increased patrol in the area of the 1300, 1400 and 1500 blocks of Oneida Street. The patrols were the result of an increased number of 'shots fired' calls in that area, according to authorities. Police say, officers noticed a vehicle with a temporary Texas license plate commit a traffic violation. Police say they pulled the vehicle over and discovered the vehicle had a suspended registration. As a result, police asked the occupants of the vehicle to step out of the vehicle and a full search of the vehicle was conducted. Their search turned up a bag containing a loaded .38 caliber revolver, according to officers.

Utica Police say the three occupants of the vehicle searched were taken to UPD headquarters and questioned further. The further inquiry led to an abundance of information regarding a shooting investigation that occurred on June 1st, 2021. Police say one of the three occupants, Lawrence Napper of Utica, was shot in the leg as a result of the June 1st shooting. He and two other occupants of the vehicle with the Texas plate were arrested and are facing several weapon charges.

Below you can see photos of the other weapons that were discovered as a result of the arrests.