An island resident found himself fleeing a group of police officers in the early morning hours of Saturday, Nov. 20, and was eventually arrested for illegally carrying a .40 caliber M&P handgun and carrying dozens of rounds in ammunition while walking the streets of Dorchester just after 1:30 a.m. that morning.
Winston Cottrell, 31, of Nantucket, will be arraigned in Dorchester District Court on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, carrying a loaded firearm, two counts of possession of a large capacity feeding device, and body armor used in commission of a felony. According to the Boston Herald, his arraignment is expected to take place today.
According to the Boston Police Department’s police report, at approximately 1:39 a.m. on November 20, members of the BPD Youth Violence Strike Force arrested Cottrell on firearm related charges following an investigation in the area of Ceylon Street and Quincy Street in Dorchester.
Cottrell took off running when officers attempted to stop him. The police noticed Cottrell holding a firearm in his right hand as he was fleeing.
Cottrell was placed in custody following a brief foot pursuit and an ensuing struggle with officers. After the altercation a .40 caliber M&P handgun loaded with one round of ammunition in the chamber was obtained, along with 14 additional rounds in the magazine and a spare magazine loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition.
Officers say they also discovered that Cottrell was wearing body armor underneath his jacket upon his arrest.
According to a report by the Cape Cod Times on November 10, 2020, Cottrell fled a traffic stop at the intersection of Town Brook Road and Route 28 that morning. Police said at the time he was stopped for various motor vehicle infractions, had a suspended license, and a revoked registration.
Cottrell sped away from police after being stopped at approximately 2 a.m. and eventually abandoned his car. After police searched his vehicle, they found a large amount of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and over $700 in cash. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but he was never caught and arrested.
