The Cambridge Police yesterday arrested a Vermont man carrying a backpack containing a fully loaded, unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
The arrest occurred in Harvard Square at 1:35 p.m. after a reported unwanted person was located in an ATM lobby. Officers identified Walter Pahnke, 23, of 177 Pearl Street in Burlington, Vermont, as a suspect who also fit the description of a male who had committed a larceny on Sunday in Harvard Square. During their conversation with Pahnke, officers observed a backpack that Pahnke had in his possession. He gave officers consent to search his belongings and a fully loaded firearm was discovered along with an additional magazine and a box of ammunition containing 45 rounds. Pahnke acknowledged not having a license to carry.
Pahnke was arrested for Carrying a Loaded Firearm without a License, Possession of a Firearm or Ammunition without a Firearm Identification Card, and a Miscellaneous Statutory Violation.
"This arrest is a great example of the community reporting an unwanted situation to the police and our officers quickly acting,” said Deputy Superintendent Paul Ames. “As a result, a potentially dangerous suspect is in custody and an unlicensed, loaded firearm is no longer on our streets."