Teen found with machine gun conversion device: MPD
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Police say a drug team responding to a drug complaint at a strip mall in Fox Meadows found a teen with an illegal device used to turn a handgun into a fully automatic weapon.
MPD said Kenyatta Walker, 18, was arrested late Thursday night in the 3100 block of Mendenhall after detectives found a handgun with a gold Glock switch on the end of it inside his vehicle.
MPD: Officers recover part that turns handguns into machine guns
A Glock switch, about the size of a nickel, is also called a machine gun conversion device. It fits right into a Glock handgun, allowing the weapon to fire off an entire magazine in just seconds.
In July, Members of the ATF, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, the DA’s Office, the Memphis Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s said the Glock switches are being used by more criminals in Memphis and rural West Tennessee and making the streets even more dangerous
Glock switches used by more criminals in Memphis, West Tennessee
The various law enforcement agencies gathered at the SCSO Training Academy for a demonstration.
“We are making this a priority. These Glock switches are highly dangerous, and they are highly illegal,” said Kevin Ritz, U.S. Attorney of the Western District of Tennessee.
In May, the U.S. Attorney for West Tennessee announced convictions and sentencings for 26 people found in possession of these devices.
According to the ATF, the number of guns with switches seized has increased more than five times, from about 300 in 2020 to 1,500 in 2021.
Police said the gun they found in Walker’s car had a serial number too damaged to be immediately visible.
Walker is also charged with the alteration of serial numbers. He is scheduled to go before a judge on Monday.
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