A driver ran across railroad tracks after a traffic stop, and officers found a handgun beside his wallet in the vehicle, according to charges. Police stopped him near Lake Street East and Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis on July 29.
Martell Javarus Hill, 23, of Minneapolis, is charged with gross misdemeanor carrying a pistol without a permit and misdemeanor counts of fleeing on foot and driving after revocation.
Officers had been alerted around 10:44 a.m. that a Lincoln MKX was parked on Franklin Avenue. A police alert identified Hill and the vehicle in connection with a shooting the previous day and said the firearm had not been recovered, according to the complaint.
Officers followed Hill after he drove away and stopped him near Lake and Hiawatha. He got out and ran across nearby railroad tracks before officers caught him, the complaint says.
Police saw a Glock 20C 10mm handgun in the center console, where they also found Hill’s wallet.
After being advised of his rights, Hill said the gun was not his and that he had been in the vehicle for only about 20 minutes before the stop. He acknowledged he may have moved the gun but said he did not know who owned it, according to the complaint.
Police said Hill did not have a permit to carry and that his driver’s license was revoked. The complaint charges the permit, fleeing and license offenses; it does not charge Hill with the earlier shooting.
