Man charged after police find loaded handgun during I-287 traffic stop in Morris County

HANOVER TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Morris County) — A 36-year-old New York man was arrested after police discovered a loaded handgun during a traffic stop on Interstate 287 in Hanover Township, according to police.

Giovanni Gadison, of the Bronx, was arrested Sept. 5 and charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a handgun by a prohibited person, possession of a prohibited large-capacity magazine, possession of prohibited hollow-point ammunition and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to police, an officer observed a vehicle with equipment violations and determined it was unregistered. The officer subsequently stopped the vehicle on I-287 northbound.

While speaking with Gadison, who was the vehicle’s only occupant, the officer noticed the butt of a handgun protruding from beneath a pair of shorts on the front passenger seat, police said.

The officer safely removed the handgun from the vehicle and determined that Gadison did not have a permit for it. Police said the weapon was loaded with hollow-point ammunition and equipped with a prohibited large-capacity magazine.

A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered additional ammunition and drug paraphernalia, according to police.

Gadison was taken into custody and transported to police headquarters for processing. Police said they discovered he had a prior felony arrest, which they cited in connection with the charge of possessing a handgun as a prohibited person.

Gadison was also issued multiple traffic summonses before being lodged in the Morris County Jail pending a detention hearing.