A combative Wildwood man who was armed with a loaded handgun was jailed early Saturday morning after being stopped by a Sumter County sheriff’s deputy for driving with no taillights after sunset.
The deputy initially attempted to stop the silver Ford passenger vehicle as it traveled westbound on State Road 44 near Interstate 75. But the driver, later identified as 34-year-old William Alonza Jackson, turned right onto County Road 231 and continued driving for a quarter of a mile before pulling into his residence at 8500 CR 231 and making a U-turn as if he was going to drive back onto the roadway, a sheriff’s office report states.
The deputy explained the reason for stopping Jackson and asked him for his driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance. He immediately became “argumentative” and said he forgot to turn on his lights when pulling out of a nearby fast-food restaurant, the report says.
While Jackson gathered his documents, the deputy noticed a large bulge protruding from his waistband, which he believed to be a firearm. He told Jackson to exit his vehicle but he refused, saying the deputy “had no reason” to make him do so, the report says.
The deputy opened the door and again asked Jackson to exit from the driver’s seat. But he grabbed the door handle and slammed it shut. The deputy then reopened the door and told Jackson to exit the vehicle or he would be tased. Jackson was then escorted from the vehicle and placed under arrest, the report says.
While searching Jackson, the deputy found a black holster containing a 9mm Taurus handgun tucked inside his waistband. The pistol was fully loaded and with one round in the chamber, the report says.
After the firearm was secured in the trunk of the deputy’s patrol vehicle, Jackson was transported to the Sumter County Detention Center, where he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and resisting an officer without violence. He was released later Saturday morning on $3,000 bond.