Merced traffic stop leads to arrest of Atwater man, 20, on suspicion of gun possession charge

A traffic stop led to the arrest of a man Friday night in Merced after officers said he ran away and they found a loaded and unregistered firearm in his vehicle.

Merced police officers made the stop at 10:13 p.m. Friday near G Street and Cardella Avenue, according to a social media post by the Merced Police Department.

The vehicle pulled over and officers said Tyree Martin, 20, of Atwater, ran from the vehicle south on G Street along a canal bank. Martin tossed a loaded firearm over a wall into the backyard of a nearby residence, police stated.

Martin eventually surrendered and was arrested on suspicion of possession of an un-serialized firearm, having a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle and resisting a peace officer. He was booked into the Merced County Jail, where his bond was set at $62,000, according to jail records.

Merced police are asking anyone with any information to contact Officer Arturo Gaona at 209-388-7777 or gaonaa@cityofmerced.org.