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Springfield Police Department Response to Kevin Santos Arrest in NY

While Kevin Santos was out on bail waiting for his next hearing on illegal “large capacity” firearm charges, he attempted to murder a police officer in New York. 

Mr. Santos, 22 years old, was pulled over in New York on Monday at 11:30am.  He had a suspended license and the officer attempted to get Santos out of the car when he took off.  The officer was leaning inside the car when it took off. The officer was able to climb inside to avoid dragging and struggled with the suspect as the vehicle hit speeds of nearly 60 miles per hour.

The front door of the car remained open during the incident. The driver swerved across both lanes of the Hutchinson River Parkway and on to the shoulder, accelerating and breaking hard to try and jolt the officer out of the car.  This continued for three-quarters of a mile until the officer was able to get the car to a stop. The suspect’s vehicle was then boxed in by a Westchester County police car as the driver attempted to get away.  Later, 9000 bags of heroin were found inside the car. 

The Springfield Police C3 North End Unit arrested then 21 year old Santos on March 30th.  Mr. Santos was a passenger in a car and had a firearm at his feet, kicking it under the driver’s seat when Officer’s arrived.  The firearm was loaded and capable of holding 15 rounds of rounds of ammunition.  

“We are thinking of our brother officer in West Chester County and wish him a speedy recovery.  Any officer will tell you and both these incidents emphasize it; there is no such thing as a routine traffic stop.  When an individual is caught with an illegal firearm they should not be right back out on the street, this is another reason why Governor Baker’s Bill to Protect Communities from Dangerous Individuals and Mayor Sarno’s Bail Legislation is so important to pass,” said Acting Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood.  

In March in Springfield, Santos was charged with:

  • Possession of a Firearm without a LTC
  • Possession of Ammunition without a FID
  • Improper Storage of a Large Capacity Firearm
  • Possession of a High Capacity Feeding Device
  • Possession of a Class E Drug

His next hearing in that case is scheduled for July. 

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Page last updated:  Tuesday, March 1, 2022 01:32 pm