What Did Abington Police Officer Find During Traffic Stop?

ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA — An Abington Township police officer has been commended for an encounter in which a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun was found in a backpack during a traffic stop.

Abington Police said at 12:29 a.m. on Sept. 5, Police Officer Andy Bertrand conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle displaying expired registration and heavily tinted windows.

Bertrand observed signs of nervousness and said the individuals made repeated attempts to rush the encounter.

The police officer detected suspicious behavior from a rear-seat passenger who was rummaging through a backpack and manipulating something inside, raising concerns that they were trying to hide an object.

Police said the passenger was seated next to two toddlers. The passenger was asked to step out of the vehicle, and a search of the backpack revealed a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun along with drug paraphernalia.

The passenger did not possess a valid concealed carry permit and was subsequently arrested and charged with carrying a firearm without a license and possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.

"Thanks to Officer Bertrand’s keen awareness, calm demeanor, and thorough investigative approach, an illegally possessed firearm was safely recovered without incident, contributing to the safety of the community," police said.