A 22-year-old Waterford man earned multiple charges after police found him at the scene of a broken window in the Richland Shopping Center called into dispatchers.

Officers were dispatched to the American Vet Clinic at 2531 Whitmore Avenue at 12:22 a.m. on Thursday, April 30 to investigate what was first believed to be a bullet hole but later proved to be caused by a metal ball bearing.

While scouring the area, Officer Scott Faure located Albert Hernandez talking to people sitting in a sedan. Hernandez took off running northbound when he saw the officer. The officer chased after and caught Hernandez as he tried scaling the block wall separating the shopping center from residential backyards.

Hernandez was taken to the ground where the officer struggled a bit with handcuffing him. During the struggle a Glock 27 .40 -caliber handgun fell from Hernandez’s pants. The gun had no record.

When being escorted to the patrol car Hernandez pulled away from Officer Faure and attempted to run again. He was quickly apprehended and restrained. 

Hernandez said the people in the car threw him the gun and that he ran because he was scared but did not identify the occupants.

While being booked at the Public Safety Center, Sheriff’s deputies found a small bag of a white substance believed to be cocaine in Hernandez’s sock. Hernandez stated that he forgot it was there. His charges include carrying a concealed firearm, being ex-felon in possession of a firearm, resisting arrest, probation violation, and smuggling drugs into a correctional facility.