FRANKLIN
Officers with the Franklin Police Department responded to Artis Street early Tuesday morning after receiving a call reporting gun shots being fired. This information comes from Capt. Tim Whitt, spokesman for the department.

The call came in at approximately 3:33 a.m. The caller stated that a black male wearing a black coat was firing a gun. Upon arrival, an officer confronted a subject on Artis Street matching the description given.

A subsequent search of the suspect, whom officers identified as Dashawn Mandel Lassiter, 24, of Cameron Street, revealed him to be in possession of a 9mm pistol. Twelve spent 9mm cartridge casings were recovered on Artis Street as well.

The officers arrested Lassiter and charged him with being in possession of a concealed weapon and discharging a firearm in the city. He has been remanded to the Western Tidewater Regional Jail without bond.

Whitt said that this is the 64th firearms-related incident in Franklin to date for 2017.