Driver, passenger face charges after police see traffic violation

The driver of a car stopped for running a red light in Bangor on Tuesday was arrested on a warrant and one of his passengers faces a weapons charge.

Tuesday night while on patrol, Bangor police Officer Chris Morley reported seeing a car stop at the red light at Longmeadow Drive and Hogan Road, but the car continued through the intersection with the light still red, turning left onto Hogan Road.

Morley stopped the car in front of Kmart and reported that the driver was identified as William E. Leland, 44, of Old Town and that there was a warrant for Leland’s arrest.

There were two other passengers and a dog in the car. Sitting behind the driver was Henry Jenkins, 21, of Levant, who had a reputation for carrying weapons. Officer Steve Jordan searched Jenkins andreported finding one knife strapped to the man’s left wrist and another secured to the man’s waist. Both were covered by Jenkins’ sweat shirt.

Also found was a clip of bullets that belonged with a small handgun that police discovered in a pocket behind the driver’s seat. Police seized the gun and knives, and Jenkins was charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.

Jenkins could face an additional charge as he had been convicted of a felony previously, but it was when he was a juvenile. Police referred the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Violent Crimes Task Force for review.

A K-9 searching the car detected what police said was a small amount of marijuana in the glove box.

Jenkins and Leland showed up later at the police station, Leland to get his car back and Jenkins his knives and gun.

In seeking to get his gun back, Jenkins told Sgt. Thomas Reagan that he had had the gun out in the open on the seat, but that his dog was walking on it so he put it in the pocket for safety. He said he didn’t want to have it on him since he didn’t have the appropriate permit.

The car was signed back over to Leland, but Jenkins didn’t get his weapons back as they are evidence, according to the police report.

Apparently disconcerted about not getting his gun back, Jenkins told Reagan that he recently purchased a 9 mm rifle and that there was no way they were going to seize that.

A man who reportedly walked out with nearly $300 in merchandise from Ames Department Store on Wednesday was charged with theft.

A store employee reported seeing Delray Meeker, 31, of Hudson leave the store with several items he hadn’t purchased. The employee confronted the Hudson man and brought him back into the store.

Among the items he was charged with taking were home theater electronics worth $250, an Eminem CD, two T-shirts and three screwdrivers, reported Bangor police Officer Shawn Green.

Of the items recovered, nearly $40 worth was damaged, including the screwdrivers which were pulled from their packaging and the T-shirts which had been hidden down the man’s pants and were no longer sellable.

– Compiled by NEWS reporter Doug Kesseli