Man Arrested at Stamford Macy's Allegedly Carrying Stolen Gun

Loss prevention officers at Stamford's Macy's helped take an illegal gun off the streets Sunday evening that was reported stolen in 1988, Stamford Police Captain Richard Conklin announced Monday afternoon.

According to Conklin, 18-year-old Sherwin Carmichael, of the first block of Fort Point St. in Norwalk, was spotted by Macy's loss prevention officers allegedly attempting to steal several items of clothing during a visit to the store Sunday at approximately 6 p.m.

When the two Macy's employees attempt to stop Carmichael, he resists and, during the ensuing struggle, a loaded semi-automatic pistol Carmichael had allegedly been concealing falls to the floor, Conklin said.

The loss prevention officers had no prior knowledge of the firearm, Conklin said, but he commended them on their actions to swiftly detain Carmichael and secure the weapon once it appeared.

The gun had reportedly been been stolen from Henderson, North Carolina, in 1988, Conklin said, adding stolen gun reports never leave the National Crime Information Center's database like how some other information will eventually filter out with age.

Carmichael allegedly told police a man had approached him while he was in the store and told him if he didn't carry out the stolen goods and weapon, he faced further harm. Conklin said after reviewing the closed-circuit security footage that at no point did Carmichael face any instances of duress prior to his interaction with the loss prevention officers.

Carmichael was charged with theft of a weapon, carrying a pistol without a permit and sixth-degree larceny. Conklin said, though Carmichael, due to his age and the time the gun was reported stolen, was likely not the perpetrator of that crime, anyone caught carrying a stolen weapon is charged with its theft.

Carmichael also faces a second-degree failure to appear charge after it was discovered he had outstanding warrants in Norwalk.

Carmichael was held on a $20,000 bond.