ShotSpotter alert leads to arrest of two convicted felons
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BROWARD, Florida (WFOR) — A ShotSpotter alert has led to the arrest of two convicted felons and the seizure of illegal drugs and a stolen gun.
Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony held a news conference on Tuesday morning to explain how the ShotSpotter technology allowed his deputies to make the arrests.
He explained that on Saturday, April 3 around 10:30 p.m., ShotSpotter alerted to seven rounds of gunfire in the 2500 block of Northwest 15th Court in unincorporated Central Broward.
The BSO Aviation Unit immediately responded.
“Our tactical flight officer got the alert on ShotSpotter, recognized there was a shooting going on in the community. He operated his technologies and camera systems to zoom in over two miles away from the shooting and spotted the shooter,” said Sheriff Tony.
From the air, the Aviation Unit was able to help BSO deputies on the ground arrest a man with a stolen gun and another man attempting to hide a large quantity of drugs.
“As we kept watching him, he went to the rear area of the back yard and dumped the gun, actually under a pole near the fence. He nonchalantly walked away, went about two to three houses away to the west, jumped a fence and tried to mingle in with guys in front of the house. We directed our ground units,” said Tactical Flight Officer Oscar Gonzalez.
The suspect, Shawn Moses, was detained in front of the home at 2515 N.W. 15th Court.
Nobody was hurt in the shooting.
The second suspect, Bryant Holland came out of the same home and threw two large duffel bags on the roof.
“I went ahead and notified the guys, ‘Hey heads up, guy coming out a back door with a bag, threw bag on the roof’,” said Officer Gonzalez. “About 5 to 10 minutes later, he did the same thing with a bigger bag. Threw it into the air onto the roof.”
The bags were recovered and contained more than 200 grams of cocaine, nearly 800 grams of cannabis and a handgun, said BSO.
Detectives executed a search warrant at the home and recovered additional drugs and cash. Deputies also found the gun hidden in the yard which had been reported stolen out of Palm Beach County.
Holland was arrested and charged with armed trafficking cocaine, possession of cannabis with intent of sell, tampering with evidence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Moses is charged with grand theft of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Both are being held in the Broward County Jail.
Sheriff Tony says while ShotSpotter is a great tool, law enforcement still needs people to get involved and call 911.
“There’s a hollowing effect, there’s a complacency, the community grows to accept it and I’m telling you not to. Do not accept it, it’s abnormal. We do not live in a combat zone.”
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