North Charleston Police Department officers assigned to North Days Team 2 arrested a convicted felon on Sunday after finding a firearm during a traffic stop.

Shortly after 9:30 a.m., an officer conducting proactive patrols in the hotel area along Northwoods Boulevard observed a vehicle make an improper right turn onto Ashley Phosphate Road. The officer initiated a traffic stop, and the vehicle came to a stop on the I-26 eastbound on-ramp.

While speaking with the occupants, the officer detected the odor of marijuana and asked the driver and passenger to exit the vehicle. During a probable cause search, officers found a handgun between the right front passenger seat and the passenger door.

Further investigation determined the firearm belonged to the passenger, identified as 37-year-old Demetrius Anthony Bennett of Mount Pleasant. A records check showed Bennett is a convicted felon. He was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and transported to the Al Cannon Detention Center.