Lakeland Man Has Loaded Gun At St. Pete Protest, Arrested: Police

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — St. Petersburg police arrested a 26-year-old Lakeland man who had a loaded gun, and threw a spent baton round at Chief Anthony Holloway, and several majors who stood outside in front of police headquarters as they monitored protesters on Wednesday night.

Abraham Quraishi, flung the heavy plastic toward officers barely missing them after they told protesters to get on the sidewalk so they could open up the road for traffic. Police noticed he had a handgun in his waistband. An officer yelled, "gun," and as dozens of officers were already outside, several of them brought Quraishi to the ground. It took multiple law enforcement officers to restrain him on the ground as police retrieved the loaded gun that was in his waistband. He does not have a concealed weapons permit, said police.

A Patch reporter at the police headquarters saw multiple patrol cars speed along First Avenue North with their siren lights activated. They slammed on their brakes as protesters fled from the station toward Central Avenue. (There is video of the arrest located at the bottom.)

Other officers continued to move protesters out of the area as they also blocked off the cut through from First Avenue North with patrol cars. Police also stood guard across 13th Street North to keep protesters from interfering with the arrests and for other police and public safety precautions. A large crowd of protesters watched from Central Avenue near the restaurant Hawkers Asian Street Fare.

Police continued to search the protester for the gun, and eventually got it out of his possession. They arrested him and placed him in the back of a police van. He continued to fight officers as they took him to the van. He now faces charges of inciting a riot, resisting an officer with violence, carrying a concealed firearm while in commission of a felony and unlawful assembly.

After they arrested him, police walked a couple of white women protesters in handcuffs toward the police station. As of Thursday night, no information has been released about what charges were filed.