Arrested Adult

Officers observed a vehicle in a nearby gas station parking lot, recognized the driver, knew he did not have a valid driver's license, and was a suspected gang member.  Once the vehicle entered the roadway, a traffic stop was initiated at East Washington Ave/N. Fair Oaks.  The backseat passenger, Copeland, ran from the vehicle.  Despite officers telling him to stop, he continued running through the apartment complex.  As he ran, he discarded a loaded handgun near some children playing in the yard.  Copeland was caught after the short foot pursuit.  Officers examined the recovered handgun and learned it had been converted to fully automatic and was an untraceable "ghost gun".  Copeland was arrested and taken to the Dane County Jail for resisting arrest, carrying a concealed weapon, and illegal possession of a machine gun. This call garnered media attention around 9:00PM because of the large police presence in the neighborhood.