(WNY News Now) – DUNKIRK, NY — A 25-year-old Dunkirk man was arrested Sunday evening after allegedly discarding a stolen handgun in Lake Erie following a brief foot pursuit in Wright Park.
On June 29, 2025, at around 7:00 p.m., Dunkirk Police responded to a report of a man with a pistol in Wright Park, a public area known to be frequented by families and children. Officers arrived on scene and located a man matching the description. When officers attempted to approach him, the suspect reportedly fled into the lake and appeared to throw an object into the water.
Police apprehended the man, identified as Kareem T. Caldwell, 25, of Dunkirk, and subsequently recovered a loaded Sig Sauer P365 handgun from the water. Investigators later confirmed that the firearm had been reported stolen from the Town of Ellicott approximately one month earlier.
Caldwell was charged with the following:
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (PL 265.03[3])
- Criminal Possession of a Firearm in a Sensitive Location (PL 265.01[e])
- Criminal Possession of Stolen Property (PL 165.45[4])
- Tampering with Physical Evidence (PL 215.40[2])
He was processed at Dunkirk Police Headquarters and arraigned the following day. Caldwell was remanded to Chautauqua County Jail on $50,000 bail. As are all persons accused of a crime, the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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