HARRISBURG — Police have charged a 42-year-old man in connection to a May 2 shooting incident on the 1700 block of North Street.
Willie Bristol is charged with illegal possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license. In addition, police say he was also charged with possession of 45 suspected bootleg DVDs of movies, some of which are still in theaters.
According to police, a shots-fired call was reported on May 2 at 3:09 p.m. Police were dispatched, but were unable to find any suspects at the scene. A witness later told police he saw a gold Ford Explorer flee the area while an occupant of the vehicle continued to fire.
The vehicle was last seen traveling east on Herr Street, police say.
Dauphin County Dispatch relayed the vehicle information to Penbrook and Susquehanna Township Police. Penbrook Police located the vehicle at the intersection of North 19th and Forster Streets. A traffic stop was initiated at Linn and Forster Streets.
As police initiated the stop, the driver and front seat passenger exited the vehicle in an attempt to flee. Police ordered the males back inside the vehicle. The driver, later identified as Bristol, returned to the vehicle and was detained. The other occupant fled, and was not located, according to police.
During a search of the vehicle, Harrisburg police observed a black AK47 in the front passenger seat. The rifle had a loaded magazine and there was an additional loaded magazine in the center console of the vehicle.
Officers also observed a bullet hole in the front driver door of the vehicle and shattered glass on the front driver seat. It was later discovered that the front driver window had been completely shattered.
Bristol allegedly told police that he allowed his nephew to use his vehicle. He had then received a phone call that his vehicle had been shot. He had his nephew come pick him up and they went to look for the individuals who fired the shots.
Other units on scene located several casings and an additional vehicle that had been struck by gunfire at the intersection of North 18th and Briggs Street.
Bristol did not have a valid permit to carry a firearm. Additionally, due to a 1994 felony conviction, Bristol was a Person Not to Possess a Firearm. He was placed under arrest and transported to County Booking. A search of his vehicle revealed forty-five pirated DVDs in a black shopping bag. A majority of these movies are currently in theaters and not yet out in stores.
