One less unlicensed handgun in Providence after late-night arrest

PROVIDENCE — There is one less unlicensed gun on the streets of Rhode Island's capital city.

While patrolling an area of the city where there have been a run of thefts from motor vehicles — including catalytic converter thefts — police late Friday night spotted a man "wearing a hooded sweatshirt and backpack while walking rapidly away from Byfield Street on to Broad Street," with his right arm pinned to the pouch of his sweatshirt, according to a police report.

After watching the man for a while, and spotting "a weighted object" protruding from the sweatshirt pouch, the police officers shined a spotlight on the man.

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He stopped, turned and began walking toward the cruiser.

When asked, the man, identified as Brien Isom, 29, of Providence, acknowledged that "he did in fact have a firearm on his person," according to the police report.

The firearm was later identified as a silver and black "Glock 26 Gen 5 9mm" with no records on file.

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Isom told the police "that he was coming from his friend's house and was carrying his weapon for his safety,'' according to the report.

Inside Isom’s backpack, the report says, the police found: "a loaded magazine, a black ski mask and a black nylon pistol holster."

Isom has been charged with possession of a firearm without a license, according to Cmdr. Thomas Verdi, and was scheduled to appear before a bail commissioner on Saturday morning.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: One less unlicensed handgun in Providence after late-night arrest