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Austin Colson faces 14 weapon and drug charges stemming from the Tuesday, Dec. 20, raid at his Belcher Street apartment, Chicopee police said.
Police officials said Chicopee narcotics officers and FBI agents with the gang task force knocked on Colson's door and announced their intentions, but after he refused to answer, they started to batter it down. That's when they heard a gunshot from inside the house, authorities said, and then the heavy footsteps of a man running away.
Colson burst through a second doorway as he tried to escape, but officers arrested him after a brief struggle, Chicopee police said.
Officers noticed a fresh bullet hole in a dresser near the front door and could smell gunpowder in the air. They found a stolen pistol inside the apartment that had recently been fired once but jammed when the bullet casing got lodged as it was ejected, police said.
Along with the gun, officers said they found crack, marijuana, and drug-selling paraphernalia.
Chicopee police Colson is charged with:
- Five counts of assault with a dangerous weapon
- possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance
- resisting arrest
- possession of a large-capacity firearm (handgun)
- possession of a large-capacity firearm (feeding device capable of holding 15 rounds)
- discharging a firearm within 500ft of a building
- improper storage of a large-capacity firearm
- possession of a large-capacity firearm in the commission of a felony
- receiving stolen property worth more than $1200
- possession with intent to distribute a Class D substance
- possession of ammunition without an FID card
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