BAKERSFIELD MAN ARRESTED AFTER POLICE DOG FINDS ILLEGAL GUN IN TRASH CAN DURING TRAINING EXERCISE
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A routine training session for the Bakersfield Police Department’s K-9 unit led to the discovery of a loaded, unregistered handgun and the arrest of a local man on Monday evening, officials confirmed. According to Sergeant Maria Lopez, the incident occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m. on October 23, 2024, in the 2100 block of East Brundage Lane. During a scheduled search-and-detection drill, a police dog named Max indicated a suspicious scent near a residential trash can. Officers searched the container and found a loaded 9mm pistol with a defaced serial number. Subsequent investigation identified the trash can’s owner as 34-year-old Bakersfield resident James T. Harmon, who was on active felony probation. Harmon was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Kern County Jail on charges of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of a concealed firearm, and tampering with evidence. No injuries were reported. The Bakersfield Police Department emphasized the value of routine training in preventing illegal weapons from remaining on city streets.