Hilltown Township Police have announced the arrest of a Philadelphia man on multiple weapons charges stemming from a traffic stop along Bethlehem Pike early Saturday morning.
Police said they were patrolling on May 15 at 1 a.m. when they observed a white van driving erratically along the northbound lanes of Bethlehem Pike. The criminal complaint states the vehicle drove over a median as it tried to merge into a lane, at which point police initiated a traffic stop.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as 42-year-old Michael Bradford, appeared to be confused and said he was using the GPS on his cell phone to direct him to his destination, which caused the erratic driving, the complaint states. When asked to produce his registration and insurance, Bradford attempted to open a glove compartment in an area where there was no glove compartment, police said.
During the traffic stop, a second officer trained his flashlight on Bradford’s right waistband area. Police asked Bradford to lift up the right side of his sweatshirt multiple times, however Bradford refused, the complain states. The second officer then lifted up Bradford’s shirt, which revealed a silver and black Ruger SR9, police said.
The firearm was immediately secured, and Bradford was taken into custody, police said. A check of the serial number showed that the firearm had been reported stolen in Philadelphia on November 8, 2017, according to the criminal complaint.
Bradford has had prior felony convictions, which prohibit him from possessing a firearm, police said.
As a result of the incident, Bradford was charged with prohibited possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property, firearms not to be carried without a license and related offenses.
Bradford was arraigned later that morning by Magisterial District Judge Regina Armitage, who set bail at 10% of $100,000 cash. He was then taken to the Bucks County Correctional Facility after failing to post bail, and his next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on June 1 at 1 p.m. in front of Judge Armitage.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
See also:
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Intoxicated Chipotle Employee Arrested After Waiving Knife At Staff And Customers, Police Say
Convicted Murderer Had Handgun In Vehicle During Traffic Stop On Skippack Pike, Police Say
