Fall River Police Arrest Man Allegedly in Possession of Fully-Automatic Handgun

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — Fall River Police have arrested a man and taken a handgun modified to be fully automatic off the street.

According to police, it was the “quick thinking and bravery of community members” that led to the arrest of Neftaly Arroyo-Gomez, 25, on Sunday.

Police said officers responded to the 100-block of Stafford Road on December 29 for a report of a male walking around armed with a pistol and wearing a mask.

Officers canvassed the area and eventually spotted the man, who then ran through backyards of the neighborhood before finally being subdued by a resident on Cambridge Street.

According to police, Arroyo-Gomez was allegedly found “in possession of a loaded Glock handgun modified with a switch device which makes the handgun fully automatic, classifying it as a machine gun under law.”

Arroyo-Gomez is charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun, unlawful possession of a machine gun (loaded), unlawful possession of a large capacity firearm, carrying a firearm without a license to carry (second offense), carrying a loaded firearm without a license to carry (second offense), and vandalizing property.

In a Facebook post, Fall River Police thanked the citizens for their assistance.

“We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the citizens who acted swiftly to call the police and notify us,” police said. “We also would like to recognize the citizen who subdued the suspect and the other citizens who assisted our officers in locating the firearm, which the suspect attempted to discard. Your actions played a critical role in ensuring the safety of everyone in the area and bringing this situation to a safe resolution.”

“This is a powerful reminder of how valuable our partnership with the community is in keeping our neighborhoods safe,” police said.