Two charged with possession of stolen firearm in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The Wilmington Police Department announced on Nov. 9 that two people have been charged with possessing the same stolen firearm at different times.

Per the WPD, officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert a little before midnight on Oct. 19 in the 800 block of S. 15th Street regarding a person who was shot in the leg.

“When officers arrived, they located Hykeem Durant, a 34-year-old Wilmington man, suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. While officers were on scene, they also located a firearm that had been reported stolen. After an investigation and evidence collection it was discovered that Durant had a negligent discharge which caused his wound,” the announcement states.

Durant was booked into the county jail on Nov. 4 and has been charged with possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is being held under a $104,000 secured bond.

On Oct. 30, the WPD says that officers stopped a vehicle in the Creekwood area and found Patrick Fields, a 30-year-old Wilmington resident, with a “distribution amount of crack cocaine.”

“During an investigation, it was discovered that Fields had prior possession of the firearm that Hykeem Durant had also possessed during Durant’s negligent discharge,” the announcement continues.

Fields has been charged with possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon along with his initial drug charge. He is being held at the county jail with no bond.