A late-night traffic stop on U.S. Highway 301 near mile marker 1 in Bradford County on Friday quickly escalated from routine to high-risk, with deputies recovering multiple stolen firearms and arresting four people, including two juveniles, according to the sheriff’s office. The tension spiked when one passenger bolted from the car and ran across several lanes of traffic clutching what deputies described as a rifle-caliber pistol, which was later recovered at the edge of a nearby retention pond.
Traffic stop and recovery
Deputies say they pulled over a silver BMW around 9:45 p.m. The driver was identified as Elijah Beckford, with passengers Michael Hunter, Rodney Watson and Jabari Reid, all from Gainesville. During the stop, one passenger took off on foot while holding what deputies described as a rifle-caliber AR-style pistol, running along a high fence that bordered a retention pond before deputies caught up with him.
After the arrest, deputies located the rifle-caliber pistol near the pond and found two additional handguns hidden under a seat inside the BMW. More deputies and Florida Highway Patrol troopers responded to secure the scene, as reported by WCJB.
Charges and sheriff’s account
Sheriff Gordon Smith said all four were taken into custody. Each faces two counts of grand theft of a firearm, while the two juveniles are also charged with possession of a handgun by someone under 18, according to First Coast News.
In a Facebook post, Smith said that when deputies caught the fleeing juvenile, “he was no longer in possession of the firearm” and initially denied throwing anything away, even as deputies searched the pond area.
Legal implications
Under Florida law, theft of a firearm is prosecuted as grand theft and is classified as a third-degree felony under Florida Statute 812.014, which can carry up to five years in prison and fines, according to FindLaw. Separate rules apply to minors caught with guns: juveniles found in possession of firearms can face additional detention consequences under Florida Statute 790.22, per FindLaw, so the two juveniles in this case will move through the juvenile justice system.
Why stolen guns matter
Recovered stolen firearms often reappear in larger trafficking investigations or violent-crime cases, and federal firearm tracing programs are designed to connect those guns back to thefts and illegal markets. Law enforcement agencies regularly remind gun owners to lock up their weapons and report any thefts immediately to keep stolen guns from circulating on the streets, guidance that aligns with recommendations from the ATF…