YONKERS, N.Y. Call it a case of wrong place, wrong time for a Virginia man who accidentally discharged his .9-millimeter handgun while trying to flee police near 71 Jackson St. in Yonkers on Friday, police said.
Housing Unit Police Officers Robert McLaughlin and James McDonough were on a routine patrol at about midnight when they noticed a large crowd rapidly dispersing as soon as it was alerted that police were in the area, Yonkers Police Department spokesman Detective Lt. Patrick McCormick said. Leon Brown was seen walking backward with his hand hidden behind his back as he got into a 2006 Infinity Sedan with two other males, he said.
As McLaughlin and McDonough approached, they heard Brown, who was sitting in the rear passenger seat, yell to the driver to flee. Soon after, a gunshot was fired and officers removed Brown from the vehicle before it could drive away. The officers noticed the barrel of a gun sticking out from a hole in Browns rear pants pocket. An investigation found a bullet hole in the rear passenger seat.
Brown, 30, was not injured, but he was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. McCormick said it was unknown why Brown was carrying the weapon or why he was in the area. He was in police custody after being arraigned in Yonkers Criminal Court on Saturday and remanded to Westchester County Jail.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Yonkers and receive free news updates.