On March 22, 2020, at about 1518 hours, Newark Police responded to the 700 block of South Twin Lakes Boulevard for a report of a suspicious vehicle.  Arriving officers made contact with the two male occupants of the vehicle.  The officers detected an odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and conducted a search of the vehicle.

During the search, the officers located a 9 mm handgun, accessible to the driver, in a bag in the rear seat. The driver, Brendon Poulson, 22, of Wilmington, was taken into custody without incident.  A small quantity of marijuana was found in his possession.  The passenger was not charged.

Poulson was transported to Newark Police headquarters where he was charged with Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon (Firearm) and Possession of Marijuana.  Poulson appeared before Justice of the Peace Court #11 by video and was released on $2,510 unsecured bail.

No photo of Poulson is available at the time of this release.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Newark PD reminds the public that the City of Newark has enacted an emergency ordinance prohibiting public or private gatherings of more than ten (10) people.  This number is stricter than the Governor’s order prohibiting groups of fifty (50) or more.

However, on March 22, 2020, Governor Carney issued the fifth modification to his State of Emergency declaration, which stated (in part): “Delawareans should refrain from organizing or attending social gatherings of any size, except for regular interactions with immediate family members, members of the same household, caregivers, or individuals with whom you have a close personal relationship.”

The Newark Police Department appreciates the public’s voluntary compliance with the emergency orders issued by the Governor and the City of Newark. However, a violation of these orders is a criminal offense punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment.

The Newark Police Department has a COVID-19 resource page with information about the specifics of the latest orders by the Governor and the City as well as information about changes at Newark PD.  The resource page can be found at https://newarkdepolicepress.com/covid-19/.