Ryder: Illegal gun seizures spike in Nassau, but few arrested see jail

Nassau police seized eight illegal firearms during the first 11 days of the year from seemingly routine patrol stops and all but one of those arrested were released without bail, Nassau Commissioner Patrick Ryder said Thursday.

In comparison, Nassau police seized two guns during that same period in 2021, a 300% increase, Ryder said at a news conference in Garden City.

Ryder attributed the uptick in firearms seizures to the state's bail reform measures, which last year eliminated bail on most misdemeanors and nonviolent crimes.

"They feel empowered," Ryder said of those arrested with illegal guns, as he reiterated his calls for state lawmakers to amend or repeal the law. "They know they're not going to jail."

The arrests, which stem from five separate cases, include four individuals from Queens, one from Brooklyn and one from Nassau.

"We are all concerned," Ryder said. "Our cops are concerned. Nobody wants to take a life. Nobody wants to fire their weapon. They prefer to go their whole career and never use that weapon. But unfortunately … there's way too many guns out there."

Details of one arrest on Jan. 8, in which three semiautomatic handguns were recovered, were not disclosed as they are part of an ongoing investigation, Ryder said.

The first arrest occurred Jan. 5 as officers observed a man sleeping in a Honda CRV in Floral Park and recovered a loaded semiautomatic pistol with 110 rounds of ammunition, Ryder said.

Tyrone Vick, 24, of Floral Park, faces several gun and weapons' charges and was released without bail and ordered to wear an ankle monitor.

The next day near Roosevelt Field Mall, officers attempted to pull over a 2017 Mercedes which changed lanes without signaling. The vehicle fled, crashed near Ring Road and two men were arrested, Ryder said. Authorities recovered a loaded handgun from either each suspect, he said.

Kevin Dobson, 24, and Johnny Ortiz, 23, both of Rosedale, each face multiple weapons charges. Ortiz, who has several prior arrests, also faces multiple traffic violations as the car was unregistered and uninsured. Both men were released without bail and ordered to wear an ankle monitor.

On Jan. 8, officers in North Woodmere noticed two individuals in a Mazda SUV in a closed park. Tevon Johnson, 22, of Brooklyn, fled on foot and two officers were hurt during the chase, suffering injuries to their shoulder and knee, respectively, Ryder said. They've yet to return to work.

Authorities recovered a black semiautomatic handgun that was reported stolen in Georgia, Ryder said.

Johnson, who has several prior arrests, faces weapons charges, resisting arrest and second-degree assault on a police officer. He was held on $20,000 bail.

Lisa Coalbrooke, 23, Rosedale, the other vehicle occupant, faces weapons charges and was released with an ankle monitor and no bail.

On Jan. 11, officers in Malverne pulled over a Chevy Malibu that turned without signaling and police recovered a loaded semiautomatic pistol.

Kevin Balam, 54, of St. Albans, was arrested and faces weapons charges. He was released without bail or an ankle monitor.

Vick, Dobson and Balam are represented by the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County, which declined to comment. Attorneys for Ortiz, Johnson and Coalbrooke did not respond to requests for comment.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.