(EVANSTON)
A 21-year-old man faces weapon and drug charges after police caught him trying to hide a loaded gun under the front seat of a car he in north suburban Evanston.
Evanston Police Neighborhood Enforcement Team officers were in the 7700 block of Paulina Street around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday when they drove by a parked vehicle with two men inside, according to Evanston police.
The driver, William A. Pickering, was rolling a marijuana cigar when officers approached, police said. He then bent forward and reached his hand under the seat.
After the men got out of the car, a Glock .40 caliber handgun with an extended 22-round-capacity magazine, loaded with 18 rounds, was recovered from under the seat, police said.
Both men were taken to the police department, police said. Pickering, of Evanston, was charged with one count of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and one count of possession of marijuana.
The 25-year-old was released without charges, police said.
