A 20-year-old man was arrested Saturday after police say he led them on a chase from New Bedford to Dartmouth with a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit and a loaded gun in his car.
Gerald Ambrose, of New Bedford, is facing a series of charges in connection with the incident, including assault with a dangerous weapon, failure to stop for police, operating under the influence of liquor, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of high-capacity feeding devices and possession of a firearm with serial numbers defaced, according to police.
On Saturday, the man had threatened security at The Morna Lounge at 1621 Acushnet Ave. with a gun, New Bedford Police wrote in a Facebook post. When officers arrived to the lounge, the man, who police say was identified as Ambrose, fled in his vehicle, leading them on a pursuit while he drove erratically and later blew out one of his tires. The chase led police into Dartmouth via Interstate 195 before Ambrose stopped and surrender, according to the post.
Ambrose was taken into custody and later determined to have a blood alcohol level of .14, nearly twice the legal limit of .08, police wrote. During a search of his car, police found a 9-millimeter handgun on the driver’s side floor, which was loaded with an extended magazine that could hold 20 rounds of ammunition. Police also found an AR-15 rifle with three high-capacity magazines in the trunk of the car.
An additional shotgun and rifle were reported to be at Ambrose’s girlfriend’s house in Dartmouth, and police there retrieved those weapons.
“This is a great case that illustrates the unknown dangers officers face in responding to calls for service,” New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira said in a statement. “This was a volatile situation that could have ended in tragedy; I’m grateful that it was resolved safely, and I’m very appreciative of the work that’s being done by our officers out on the streets each day”.
