Three men arrested after a physical altercation leads to discovery of illegal firearms in Meriden

Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant
·2 min read

Three Connecticut men are facing charges after a physical altercation led to the discovery of illegal firearms in Meriden, according to police.

Ernest Harold, 33, of Hamden, was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, weapons in a vehicle and the illegal sale, delivery, or transfer of pistols and revolvers. Harold is being held on a $500,000 bond.

Jeremiah Galesky Perkins, 26, of Waterbury, was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, weapons in a vehicle, illegal sale, delivery, or transfer of pistols and revolvers. Perkins is being held on a $500,000 bond.

James Kyle Hill, of Hamden, was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, weapons in a vehicle and the illegal sale, delivery, or transfer of pistols and revolvers. Hill also had an active arrest warrant for failing to register as a sex offender and is being held on a $700,000 bond.

Officers responded to the area of 236 Grove St. around 11:28 p.m. on Friday in response to a report of a physical altercation involving at least one firearm. Meriden Police received multiple calls reporting a fight and a description of one of the males that had allegedly dropped a firearm, police said.

Upon arriving on scene, police said two men were observed outside of a vehicle. As more officers began to arrive, the two men along with another man had gotten into a vehicle. The three men admitted to a verbal dispute where they were attempting to calm the driver down prior to police arrival. Police had the men exit the vehicle and a firearm was located partially under the front passenger seat, police said. After a search of the vehicle, police found a second firearm under the same seat, police said in a press release. Two fully loaded firearms were seized.

All three men were convicted felons with several previous narcotics and firearm charges, police said. All three were placed under arrest and transported to Meriden Police Headquarters without incident.

Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com