Officers with the South Evenings Team 1 arrested two men on multiple gun charges Friday evening following a traffic stop in Horizon Village, adjacent to the Chicora-Cherokee community.

Just before 6 p.m., an officer on patrol noticed a vehicle occupied by four individuals. As the officer drove past, two of the occupants turned around to watch his patrol vehicle to see where he was going. Suspicious of their behavior, the officer made a U-turn and surveilled the vehicle.

While behind the vehicle, the officer observed several equipment violations, including a broken driver-side mirror and a cracked and defective passenger-side tail light. The officer then activated his emergency lights and conducted a traffic stop.

When the officer approached the vehicle and spoke with the occupants, he detected the odor of marijuana coming from inside. During a probable cause search, the driver was identified as 23-year-old Zyquan Dametris Coles of Ladson. The officer located a small plastic bag containing a green plant-like substance consistent with marijuana.

A second occupant was removed from the vehicle and found to have a firearm in his waistband. A third passenger, identified as 18-year-old Cortez Major of Charleston, told the officer he was carrying a handgun. During the investigation, officers located a handgun loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition in the passenger-side door. Major stated the gun did not belong to him.

During a search of Major, officers found another handgun concealed in his crotch area. The firearm was loaded with 18 rounds of ammunition. A records check later revealed that the gun found on Major had been reported stolen out of North Charleston.

A background check on Coles showed he has prior felony convictions.

Major was charged with Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Coles was charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Unlawful Possession of a Handgun. 

Both men were transported to the Al Cannon Detention Center.

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