Several Arrested in Newark Saturday for Weapons Offenses

Four Newark men with substantial arrest records were charged Saturday with weapons and other offenses, Newark police said.

On the morning of March 16 officers patrolling in a building on Johnson Avenue spotted Sahib Hall, 34, in a stairway holding a .45-caliber gun. He was captured after trying to discard the gun and running away, police said. He was allegedly found in possession of $1,000 worth of heroin and the gun was loaded with illegal hollow-point bullets. Hall, a felon,  has previously been arrested for carjacking, possession of explosives and other weapons offenses, aggravated assault and assault on a police officer.

Later that evening, at approximately 9:30 pm, members of the Gangs/Narcotics Unit patrolling on Broadway reportedly spotted Steven Newkirk, 23, in front of the Small Apple Grocery with a gun stuck in his waistband. After trying to flee and dumping the weapon, a 9-mm handgun, he was arrested and charged with weapons offenses and resisting arrest, police said. Newkirk has two felony convictions.

The same unit was patrolling near Avon Avenue and S. 10th Street shortly before midnight when they reportedly witnessed a car ignore a red light. After stopping the car, police said they spotted an open container of alcohol as well as a .40-caliber firearm under the leg of the driver, 34-year-old Abdul Crowley. He and his passenger, Kylier Harris, 34, were charged with possession of a defaced weapon and other weapons offenses. The men together have more than a half-dozen felony convictions between them, police said .   

"Each of these armed suspects was a legitimate threat to everyone in our community. Their collective criminal backgrounds are testament to their violent and lawless behavior. I am pleased that our proactive efforts were successful in these cases and we were able to avert a tragedy as a result of these preemptive arrests,” said Police Director Samuel DeMaio.