A routine traffic stop on Sunday in Hillsborough County turned into a significant seizure of firearms and drugs. After deputies stopped a vehicle for traffic violations near North 15th Street and East Fletcher Avenue, they encountered more than they bargained for, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The officers got a whiff of cannabis emanating from the car, which permitted them to conduct a probable cause search. Inside, deputies found not only drugs but also a loaded handgun lying with the safety off and one in the chamber, along with an additional firearm concealed in the glove compartment – containing hidden ammunition.
The passenger of the car, identified as Tarelle Stacy, a 35-year-old convicted felon, was arrested and is facing multiple charges including armed possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver and felon in possession of a firearm among others. “There is no such thing as a ‘routine’ traffic stop. Every encounter has the potential to uncover dangerous and illegal activity,” Sheriff Chad Chronister asserted in a statement noted by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office…