Police arrest man believed to be involved in gang shootings

MONTICELLO – Village Police in Monticello have arrested a 27-year-old Monticello man in connection with three shooting incidents that occurred Tuesday night. No one was injured in what police said were incidents between the rival bloods and crips gangs.

James Clemons of 65 Evergreen Drive was charged with felony criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, unlawful possession of marijuana and a bench warrant from the village court for unlawful possession of marijuana.

One of the three locations where shots were fired was in the Evergreen Drive housing complex. Police found an unoccupied car nearby with a bullet hole in the hood. As officers continued checking the area, a Sullivan County Sheriff’s deputy who was assisting local police, was alerted by a bystander that Clemons was armed with a handgun. The deputy stopped and arrested Clemons, who had an active search warrant against him. He was found in possession of a loaded .9 mm handgun and five zip lock bags of marijuana. He was remanded to the Sullivan County Jail without bail.

Officers also recovered a .380 cal. handgun lying in the roadway on Forestburg Road. It is believed that is the gun tossed from a vehicle fleeing the shots fired at Evergreen Drive.
The investigation is continuing.