Cops: 3 face weapons charges after guns found during traffic stop

Three Hempstead men are due back in court Wednesday, following their weekend arrests on weapons charges after a traffic stop on Hempstead Turnpike in Uniondale.

State Police said a trooper assigned to the Valley Stream barracks arrested Tashawn Johnson, 18, Sabir Council, 19, and Shawnun Williams, 21, after the stop near the Meadowbrook Parkway at 7:20 p.m. Saturday.

The stop was initiated because the vehicle Johnson was driving was unregistered, police said. During the stop, police said, the trooper detected the odor of marijuana from inside the vehicle -- and a subsequent search recovered a loaded 9-mm. semiautomatic handgun, an automatic assault rifle and 2 grams of marijuana.

All three men were charged with criminal possession of a weapon, police said. Johnson also was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and driving while ability impaired by drugs and with vehicle and traffic law violations. The trio were arraigned Sunday in First District Court in Hempstead.

Court records indicate that Johnson was released on $1,000 bond. The other two men, Council and Williams, were each ordered held on $750 bond or cash bail -- and records indicate both men were later remanded.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”