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A routine traffic stop in Bergen County, New Jersey, turned into the kind of hard lesson gun owners talk about around tailgates and campfires: if you’re going to say you’re legal, you’d better be able to prove it on the spot. A Pennsylvania driver told an officer he had a carry permit, but police say he couldn’t produce one—and what they say they found in the car quickly raised the stakes.
Details from the original post outline a stop in River Edge that began with window tint and ended with an arrest, a seized Glock handgun, ammunition New Jersey treats differently than many states, and multiple magazines that authorities say exceeded the state’s capacity limits.
The stop started with tint, not a gun call
Police say a New Milford Police officer, Shane Churaman, spotted a Hyundai Sonata traveling on Boulevard around 8:19 p.m. on Friday, July 24, with an illegally tinted front windshield. The officer caught up to the car and stopped it on Hackensack Avenue in River Edge, authorities said.
This is how a lot of real-world firearm cases begin—something small and visible that gives an officer a reason to make contact. It’s not a raid, not a manhunt, just a traffic stop. But traffic stops are also where documentation and compliance matter, because you’re standing there trying to explain your situation in real time.
“I have a carry permit” only helps if you can show it
Police identified the driver as 24-year-old Kervens Blaise of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, according to authorities. During the stop, police say the driver told the officer he had a concealed carry permit, and a handgun was seen in plain view inside the vehicle.
At that point, the tone of the stop changes. When a firearm is in plain view, everything becomes more deliberate: hands, movements, communication, and the paper trail. Police say Sgt. Derek Mattessich and Officer Sam Doran responded to assist.
No valid driver’s license, and no permit produced
Investigators determined Blaise did not have a valid driver’s license, authorities said. They also said he was unable to produce a concealed carry permit.
For outdoorsmen who travel—whether it’s to hunt, fish, or just cross a couple states for work—this is the part that should make you pause. It’s not just about being a “good guy” with a gun. In a moment like this, you’re being evaluated on what you can verify: licensing, permits, and whether what’s in the vehicle matches the rules where you’re standing.
The search turned up a Glock 19, hollow points, and large-capacity magazines
After the initial contact, police say a subsequent search of the vehicle led to the seizure of a Glock 19 Gen 5 handgun, multiple loaded magazines (including five large-capacity magazines), and hollow-point ammunition.
That combination is worth paying attention to if you’re a gun owner who crosses state lines. Many folks are used to hollow points being a standard defensive choice and common range ammo. But New Jersey has specific restrictions around hollow-point ammunition, and the state also limits magazine capacity—meaning gear that’s ordinary back home can become a serious problem once you cross the river.
The charges show how fast a stop can become a major case
Authorities said Blaise was charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, fourth-degree possession of prohibited hollow-point ammunition, five counts of fourth-degree possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines, and motor vehicle violations for unlawful window tint and operating without a driver’s license.
That’s a long way from a tint ticket. And it’s the kind of situation where one decision stacks onto the next: driving without a valid license, telling an officer you have a permit but not producing it, and having equipment in the vehicle that police say violates New Jersey law.
Police said Blaise was processed and remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending court proceedings.
This case is a reminder that “I’m legal where I’m from” doesn’t travel well unless you’ve checked the rules where you’re going—and can document your status when asked. In a lot of hunting and fishing circles, guys will spend hours planning their route to a new property, checking weather, grabbing tags, and packing gear. But they’ll assume their carry setup is a constant, and it’s not.
If you travel with a handgun, it’s worth doing the unglamorous homework: know whether your permit is recognized, know what ammunition is treated as prohibited, and know the magazine limits for that state. And if you’re going to claim you have a permit during a stop, make sure you can produce it—because in the real world, the paperwork is often the difference between a minor headache and a life-altering set of charges.
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