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Officers James Iandoli and Joseph Rodriguez of their department’s Emergency Response Team stopped the Honda minivan, which had a brake light out, shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday in the area of Carroll and Fair streets, Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale said.
A computer check showed the van’s registration expired, he added.
Iandoli smelled burnt marijuana as he spoke with the driver, 31-year-old Stanley Avent of Paterson – who, it turned out, had two outstanding warrants out of Haledon, Speziale said.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, spoke with the passenger, 27-year-old Kassiem McKinney, he said.
McKinney served two years and seven months in state prison for aggravated assault and terroristic threat convictions before his release in May 2016, records show.
McKinney “appeared to be extremely nervous and would not make eye contact with the officers,” the director said. “[He] kept pulling the bottom of his sweatshirt towards his waistband.”
He tried giving a false name – “Jaques Stewart” – but had trouble spelling it, Speziale said.
The officers ordered Avent out of the car to check him for weapons and continue an interview.
As they did, McKinney suddenly got out and began to walk away, Speziale said.
Iandoli told McKinney that he was being detained, but he kept walking -- looking around and holding the front of his waistband the entire time, the director said.
The officers also spotted “the front pocket of his hooded sweatshirt sagging with a heavy object,” he said.
“Yo, I’m good,” McKinney responded as the officer repeatedly ordered him to stop.
Iandoli grabbed hold of McKinney’s sweatshirt, but he pulled away and ran off down Carroll Street, Speziale said.
The officer chased him while calling for backup.
Moments later, Iandoli saw McKinney pull a black handgun from his hoodie and toss it away on Fair Street, Speziale said.
The suspect then tripped and was tackled by Iandoli, he said.
Police recovered a fully loaded Ruger LC9S 9MM handgun that McKinney discarded, the director said.
McKinney was sent to the Passaic County Jail after being charged with weapons offenses – including being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm – hindering, obstruction and possession of hollow-point ammunition.
Avent was jailed on the warrants.
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