Arlington police arrested an armed New Hampshire man on Wednesday, Nov. 9, on charges he impersonated an FBI agent and trying to gain access to a home.
Chief Fred Ryan praised the quick thinking of the residents for refusing to allow the man into their home and immediately calling police, resulting in the suspect’s capture minutes later.
Gannon Kemper LaBlanc, 23, of Nashua, N.H., was charged with impersonating a police officer, selling/possessing an electric stun gun, carrying a firearm without a license and unlawful possession of ammunition.
“While the investigation is in its early stages, Arlington police do not believe this was a random act,” Chief Fred Ryan said in a Nov. 10 news release. “The residents may have been targeted by the suspect, and we do not believe that the community as a whole was in danger.”
About 7:15 p.m., officers responded to Lee Terrace, East Arlington, after a report of a suspicious person. While en route to the scene, officers were informed that the suspect was said to be wearing a black suit, a black tie, a black backpack and a black hat with white FBI lettering.
Officers soon located the suspect, identified as LeBlanc, at a bus stop at Lee Terrace and Mass. Ave. Following an investigation at the scene, police said they determined that LeBlanc was the suspect involved in the incident, and he was placed under arrest.
During the investigation, officers located a stun gun and a loaded .38-caliber hand gun. Police also located the black FBI hat, knife, black leather gloves, rope, duct tape, a ski mask and copies of the FBI flier given to the residents at Lee Terrace.
LeBlanc is being held at the Arlington Police Headquarters without bail pending his Nov. 11 arraignment in Cambridge District Court in Medford.
The incident is under investigation by Arlington Police Department detectives, who are working with federal law enforcement agencies.
“This was a situation where the suspect posed as a law enforcement officer and tried to enter a home while carrying a hidden handgun, stun gun and restraints,” Ryan said in the release. “I commend the homeowners for having the presence of mind to refuse entry and immediately call the real police. Thankfully, our officers responded quickly and were able to locate this individual and restore safety to the neighborhood.”
This news release was published Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016.
