A routine traffic stop for speeding on Main Street led to a felony arrest Sunday morning after Susanville Police officers discovered a concealed, loaded firearm and suspected methamphetamine inside a local man’s truck.
On Sunday morning, June 21st, at approximately 11:30, officers were conducting speed enforcement on Main Street near Lassen High School when they spotted a white Ford F-150 traveling above the posted speed limit.
Officers initiated a traffic stop, and the truck pulled into the Valero parking lot near the intersection of Main Street and North Weatherlow Street.
According to the Susanville Police Department, officers noticed signs of possible impairment during their initial investigation and asked the driver to step out of the pickup truck. As the driver exited, officers spotted a concealed handgun sitting inside the driver’s door pocket.
The driver was safely detained without further incident, and backup officers arrived at the scene to assist.
A subsequent search of the F-150 turned up suspected methamphetamine, a loaded firearm, and drug paraphernalia commonly used with controlled substances. The suspected narcotics and weapons were collected and booked into evidence for further analysis.
The driver, identified as 36-year-old Susanville resident Jay Vincent Nichols, was arrested and booked into the Lassen County Adult Detention Facility. He faces multiple felony weapon and narcotics-related charges.
In a statement, the Susanville Police Department emphasized its ongoing commitment to proactive enforcement efforts to improve local roadway safety and reduce the presence of illegal drugs and firearms in the community.
