Driver charged after loaded rifle found in vehicle

A Brandon man faces firearm charges after police found a loaded rifle in his vehicle.

On Thursday, a Brandon police officer spotted a vehicle making an illegal U-turn at 19^th Street and Richmond Avenue around 9 a.m.

The officer saw the gun lying on the passenger seat. “The officer secured the driver and discovered the gun was a 30/30 caliber rifle that was loaded and did not have a trigger lock,” Brandon police said in a news release.

The 31-year-old driver also voluntarily turned over a second gun that he had at his home. He has been charged with unsafe storage of a firearm and several highway traffic offences.

He is due to appear in court in April.