Man arrested after gun found during police stop in Youngstown

A routine traffic stop for dark window tint on March 13 resulted in a gun charge.

What prompted the traffic stop?

According to the police report, a Youngstown police officer conducted a traffic stop on a red Ford Fusion traveling north on Gibson near East Dewey Avenue for having extremely dark tint on the front windows.

While the Ford coasted to a slow stop, the officer observed the driver turn his whole body and reach around the center console, the report states.

As the officer approached the vehicle, the driver, later identified as Rayquan Valentine, opened the door and asked what was wrong. According to the report, the officer stated his name and the reason for the stop. He observed that Valentine was highly nervous, not making eye contact and stuttering over his words.

The officer asked Valentine what his Social Security number was. The report states that Valentine misunderstood and initially responded that it was not on him, then quickly gave the officer his social security number.

According to the police report, the officer then asked if there were any guns in the car, to which Valentine answered no. At that point, two other officers approached to assist.

Valentine was found not to have a valid driver’s license but had no open warrants or wants. The report states that while the officers were questioning Valentine about his lack of a permit, An officer noticed the grip of a firearm sticking out from under the driver’s seat in the back.

When was the suspect arrested?

According to the report, Valentine was then asked again if he had a gun in the car, and again, he answered no. Valentine was then asked to exit the vehicle, where he was placed in handcuffs.

The officers retrieved the firearm, a Ruger Security 9, with a loaded magazine along with a round in the chamber. The report states that a search of the vehicle revealed no further contraband.

A check on the gun’s serial number revealed the weapon was not stolen. However, the report states that Valentine was placed under arrest and booked on a felony charge for Improper Handling of a Firearm in a Motor Vehicle. Valentine was also given citations for the dark window tint and for driving without a license.