Brockton Man In Pawtucket Gun Case Sentenced To Prison

PAWTUCKET, RI — A Massachusetts man who in 2018 ditched a loaded gun in the street while leading Pawtucket police on a downtown foot chase has been sentenced to prison.

Jason Ortiz, 22, of Brockton appeared in Providence Superior Court this week for a one-day jury-waived trial. He was found guilty of carrying a pistol without a permit and sentenced to five years at the ACI in Cranston with 18 months to serve and the balance suspended with probation.

In July of 2018, Pawtucket police responded to a domestic disturbance call on High Street, and learned that Ortiz had fled the home. Ortiz subsequently led police on a foot chase through downtown Pawtucket, including a chase through the city’s public library, according to a news release from Attorney General Peter Neronha.

During the chase, Pawtucket officers found a loaded Ruger LCP .380 semi-automatic pistol in the street. They used surveillance footage to determine that Ortiz had removed the gun from his pants during the pursuit and thrown it. Police later used DNA technology to link Ortiz to the gun.

“Given the facts of this case – a tenuous domestic relationship and a loaded firearm – the ultimate outcome could have been far worse,” said Neronha in a statement. “The takeaway from cases like this one is that there are too many illegal guns out there, and too many people engaged in criminal activity with loaded guns at the ready. As we have seen in our urban core and beyond, that combination has led repeatedly to confrontation, and oftentimes serious violence.”

Neronha thanked the Pawtucket Police Department for their work.

“There are far too many illegal guns on our streets. The Pawtucket Police Department is committed to eliminating illegal firearms in the city and protecting our residents,” stated Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves.

Special Assistant Attorney General Edward G. Mullaney of the Office of the Attorney General and Detective Jeffrey Furtado of the Pawtucket Police Department led the investigation and prosecution of the case.