Man Openly Carrries a Gun into Market on Pico Boulevard and Gets Arrested

May 18, 2021 - In the early hours of the morning on Monday, a man who was openly carrying a handgun in his waistband walked into the AM PM market at 3rd and Pico together with a woman companion. Police were alerted and arrived to detain the man as he exited the store. They successfully disarmed him and discovered he was a convicted felon. For most people, it is illegal to carry a firearm in California. It is an additional crime to carry a gun if you are an ex-felon. The woman was questioned and released. The full press release is below:

Santa Monica, CA - On May 17, 2021 at about 12:52 AM, Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) Officers were dispatched to the AM PM Market, located at 332 Pico Blvd. regarding a male who was seen carrying a firearm in his waistband. The male was accompanied by a female.

When officers arrived on scene, they witnessed two individuals matching the description of the involved subjects, exit the store. The individuals were safely detained outside of the establishment and officers were able to quickly disarm the male, identified as Skler Deon Darby, a 31-year-old Black male from San Bernardino. Darby had a .45 caliber handgun holstered inside his waistband.

The female with Darby was interviewed and released. A computer check revealed Darby is a convicted felon. Darby was arrested and booked for the following: 25850(C)(1) PC – Carrying a Loaded Firearm, 29800(A)(1) PC – Convicted Felon in Possession of Firearm, and 30305(A)(1) PC – Possession of Ammunition when Prohibited to Possess.

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