In the early hours of a June morning in Punta Gorda Town, a routine mobile patrol by local law enforcement unfolded into a high-speed chase that ended with the seizure of a loaded unlicensed pistol and the arrest of a 22-year-old local security guard.
According to official police accounts, the incident unfolded just after 1:00 a.m. on Front Street, when patrolling officers spotted two men traveling on motorcycles. For reasons still under investigation, the two men immediately accelerated and attempted to evade contact with police as soon as they spotted the patrol vehicle.
A short pursuit followed the fleeing motorcyclists. During the chase, one of the two men lost control of his motorcycle and fell to the road. He immediately abandoned the bike and tried to run away from officers on foot, but law enforcement quickly closed in and took him into custody. The apprehended suspect was identified as Rushan Virez, a 22-year-old security guard who resides in the Indianville neighborhood of Punta Gorda Town.
Once in custody, officers conducted a legal search of Virez’s possessions, including his backpack. Inside the bag, investigators discovered a BRG9 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which was loaded with an ammunition magazine holding 18 live rounds. When questioned by authorities, Virez was unable to produce any valid gun license for either the firearm or the ammunition he was carrying.
He was formally arrested and processed by police, and on Tuesday he was officially charged with two criminal offenses: keeping a firearm without a valid gun license, and keeping ammunition without a valid gun license. He is currently awaiting his next court appearance as the case moves through the local justice system.