Video footage has captured the arrest of a man who is reportedly “well known to the NYPD,” after he was found asleep at a Brooklyn subway station with a loaded gun visibly protruding from his waistband.
According to an NYPD spokesperson, Lawrence Costa, aged 45, was apprehended around 6:40 a.m. on Sunday at the Myrtle Avenue and Broadway station in Bed-Stuy when officers spotted a black firearm in “plain view” while walking through the station.
As the officers approached, they noticed an individual sleeping on the subway stairs with a gun visibly protruding from his belt underneath a vivid blue and yellow hoodie, as depicted in the bodycam footage.
As the suspect lay sleeping, an officer gently nudged him awake, asking, “You all right? Everything good?” Meanwhile, another officer deftly removed the firearm from the suspect’s waistband before proceeding to handcuff him.
The NYPD effortlessly made an arrest, as evidenced by the shared footage with a caption that read, “It doesn’t get much easier than this!”
NYPD Chief of Transit Michael M. Kemper reported a bizarre incident on a Brooklyn train station this morning. A 45-year-old male, who is a well-known figure to the NYPD, was found fast asleep on a staircase. What’s even more shocking is that he had an illegally possessed and loaded firearm in plain view. This incident is a testament to the strange and unpredictable nature of life.
According to Kemper, this decision was far from the best one he has made.
The department spokesperson of NYPD did not provide any further details on how Costa was familiar to them.
According to police, Costa was found in possession of an illegal, loaded firearm. As a result, he now faces multiple criminal charges for weapon possession. Thankfully, he was taken into custody without any issues.