PATERSON – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Interim Officer-in-Charge NJSP Major Frederick Fife announced today several arrests that took two guns out of the community.

On Thursday April 20, a detective sergeant and two detectives were on patrol when another detective conducting city surveillance near them saw Tysaun Beach walking with a handgun. He alerted the other detectives who began searching the area and found the suspect on 12th Avenue, recovered the gun, and arrested him without incident. He was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, a second degree crime, among other weapons charges.

In an unrelated incident also on April 20, two officers were patrolling the downtown area near Main St. as part of the interim leadership team’s new public safety strategy. As they approached the intersection of Main Street and Market Street they recognized Cameron Louzan who was wanted for a carjacking and weapons offenses out of North Bergen. Louzan was arrested without incident. North Bergen Police later responded to pick up the suspect and transfer him to their custody.

On Friday, April 21 detectives from the Paterson Police Department’s Cease Fire Unit and members of the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office were involved in crime suppression efforts in the area of Carroll Street in the 4th ward of Paterson. They noticed Davon Bunch, who had a court order prohibiting him from being in the area, was holding a handgun. Detectives arrested him without incident when they noticed Marquan Hinton adjust his waistband and saw what appeared to be the butt of a handgun. They ordered him to stop before he ran away and dropped the gun on the ground which was immediately retrieved by officers. The gun has been identified as a semiautomatic handgun loaded with 14 bullets. Hinton was arrested after a brief chase. A third person, a juvenile whose identity is being withheld due to age was also arrested. All three were charged with unlawful possession of a weapon for handling the same gun, a second degree crime, among other weapons charges including possession of a prohibited device, specifically an extended magazine, a fourth degree crime. Hinton was also charged with resisting arrest, specifically by eluding police officers, a disorderly persons offense.

“I want to thank these officers for remaining vigilant and dedicated to the city and its residents,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Taking illegal firearms out of our communities prevents future instances of gun violence and tragedies associated with them. We are all working towards improving public safety in Paterson and across New Jersey.”

“The officers involved in these arrests were able to spot crimes before they happened and are playing an active role in making the City of Paterson safer. I want to thank them for their continued commitment to their duty as police officers. Great police work like this is the key to a safe community,” said Interim Officer-in-Charge NJSP Major Frederick Fife.

Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while fourth-degree charges carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The charges against the defendants are merely accusations and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The cases are being prosecuted by the Passaic County and Hudson County Prosecutor’s Offices.

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