Hiding gun in son's car seat sends Fayetteville man to prison

Vincent Jarod Williams, 30, of 1600 Ireland Drive, was found guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced to 105 months in prison.

Fayetteville police stopped Williams on Dec. 9, 2010, after he drove through a red light. Officers saw drugs inside the car and pulled Williams out so they could search the vehicle, authorities said.

Williams' 5-year-old son was strapped in a car seat in the back of the car, so officers unbuckled him to take him out during the search. The boy, who had been crying, told officers, "My daddy only gave me this gun," and officers found a .22-caliber handgun under his leg, authorities said.

The gun had a round in the chamber, and its safety latch was off, authorities said. Eight more rounds were in the gun's magazine, and officers found another 54 rounds while searching the car.

Williams had previously been convicted of robbery, assault, possession of stolen goods and drug charges, according to state Department of Public Safety records. He was wearing a holster at the time of his 2010 arrest and told officers that he didn't own a gun because he was a felon, authorities said.