Man on probation arrested after loaded TEC-9 found during Ceres traffic stop
A man on post-release community supervision was arrested Wednesday night in Ceres after officers found a loaded semiautomatic pistol inside his vehicle, police said.
According to the Ceres Police Department, the incident occurred around 10:45 p.m. April 8 in the area of Hatch and Herndon roads.
Ceres officers were on patrol when they saw the driver of a black Nissan sedan commit vehicle code violations and initiated a traffic stop, police said. The driver, identified as James Cook, was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
During the stop, Cook became argumentative with officers. Police said officers also observed a bag on the driver’s side floorboard between Cook’s legs and learned he was on post-release community supervision.
Based on his probation status, officers instructed Cook to exit the vehicle for a compliance check, but he refused and continued to be argumentative, police said. Officers then removed him from the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs without further incident.
A search of Cook and the vehicle led to the discovery of a loaded TEC-9 semiautomatic pistol inside the backpack, according to police.
Cook was arrested on multiple firearm-related charges and booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center, police said.
