(Bridgeport, CT – July 18, 2012) — The State Police Gang Task Force executed a search and seizure warrant at 1020 Hancock Ave. Wednesday and seized two handguns, along with cash and drugs.

Antonio Small, 21, of that address, was arrested after jumping from a third-floor porch in an effort to escape police.

Members of the police Emergency Services Unit reacted immediately, grabbing Small as he hung from the exterior of the porch.  Due to their quick response, ESU members on the third- and second-floor landings were able to safely pull Small onto the second-floor porch before he fell three stories, according to Bridgeport Sgt. Jason Amato.

He was charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession with intent to sell within 1,500 feet of a school, operating a drug factory, destruction of property during search warrant, tampering with evidence, interfering with police and theft of a firearm.

Gang Task Force officers had received information that occupants of the apartment were selling narcotics and were in possession of several illegal firearms. Bridgeport SWAT, under the command of Deputy Chief Anthony Armeno and Capt. James Viadero, made entry into the third-floor residence.

At that time, Small was throwing items out of the third-floor kitchen window into the neighbor’s yard. One of the items thrown from the window was a loaded semi-automatic firearm.  Bridgeport’s ESU members who were positioned on the rear third-floor porch area watched as Small then ran out of the rear doorway to his apartment and leapt off of the third floor landing.

ESU members reacted immediately, grabbing Small as he was hanging from the exterior of the porch.

Task Force Officers seized the loaded firearm from the neighboring yard along with crack cocaine and packaging. A subsequent search of the residence located another loaded .40 caliber semi-auto pistol, packaging materials and cash. The pistol thrown out of the window was found to have been stolen from Norwalk approximately a year earlier.