FRESNO - On Tuesday, July 31, 2018 at 4:51 P.M. Southeast Special Response Team (SE SRT) Officer Sukhbir Chauhan and Officer Martin Padilla were proactively patrolling the Belmont corridor between First Ave and Cedar Ave when they initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle that was not equipped with a front license plate, a vehicle code violation. The vehicle stop occurred at First and White Avenues.
Officer Padilla contacted the sole occupant of the vehicle, 29 year-old Robert Wise of Fresno. Officer Padilla asked Wise to step out of the vehicle. Wise cooperated and exit the vehicle and placed his hands on his head. Officer Padilla asked Wise if he had any weapons on him. Wise lowered his head and paused for a moment before he told Officer Padilla he had a gun tucked in his waist band area.
Officer Padilla immediately placed handcuffs on Wise while his partner Officer Chauhan stood by. Officer Chauhan lifted the front portion of Wise shirt and observed a gray and black Smith & Wesson 9MM semi-automatic handgun in a holster. Wise told Officers during the interview he was on his way to the gun range with his firearm. However, during the subsequent search of his vehicle officers did not locate any ammunition boxes, practice targets, hearing protection, gun cleaning kit, or a gun case with a lock. Wise was confronted with these facts. Wise said he knew he messed up and realized it was a crime to transport his firearm in that manner without a concealed carry weapon permit.
Wise was nowhere near a gun range; he did not possess any evidence that would lead a reasonable person to believe he was on his way to the range. Wise did not have his weapon properly secured as mandated by state law. Wise was aware of the current gun laws and failed to follow them when he transported his firearm tucked in his waist band without a conceal carry permit.
Wise was arrested and booked in to the Fresno County Jail for possession of a loaded concealed firearm and carrying a loaded gun in a public place. Please see the attached photograph of the recovered firearm and Suspect Robert Wise.
This arrest and recovery marks the forty first (41) firearm removed from the streets of Southeast Fresno by the Southeast Special Response Team since its inception January 8, 2018.