Mugshot of Louis Mills. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. THOMAS — A licensed firearm holder was arrested and charged for allegedly illegally discharging his weapon in public.
On Tuesday afternoon, police received reports of shots being fired in Bordeaux Bay. The perpetrator, officers were told, were driving a large blue pickup. Several responding police units encountered a blue Toyota Tundra speeding away from Bordeaux eastward on Black Point Hill. The officers turned around and followed the truck to Veterans Drive, where they were able to stop the vehicle near the Green House restaurant.
As soon as the driver, Louis Mills, got out of the vehicle, he reportedly told police, “It’s right here in front of me,” drawing their attention to the black firearm on his waistband – a Glock 43 9mm pistol. Mills told officers that the firearm was licensed, and admitted that he did recently discharge it, stating that he acted alone.
After he consented to a search of the truck, officers discovered an empty box of 9mm ammunition on the floor on the driver’s side, and three loaded magazines in the center console. Both Mills and his passenger were transported to the Criminal Investigation Bureau. Both provided statements and the second man was eventually released without charge, while Mills was arrested for first-degree reckless endangerment and illegally discharging a firearm.
Further investigations found several residents of Bordeaux Bay had heard the gunshots and seen a blue truck leaving the area, but officers were not able to find any spent casings due to what the police report describes as “the rocky terrain and lack of lighting."Mills was remanded to the Bureau of Correction until his appearance in court on July 26. In court on Wednesday, Magistrate Judge Simone VanHolten-Turnbull allowed for the posting of 10 percent of the assessed $30,000 bail to secure Mills's release, following which he will be required to report to the probation office in person every week. Mills is also required to surrender his firearm and his license to the VIPD’s Firearm Division, and he is barred from possessing any firearm, ammunition, or dangerous weapon while the case proceeds.
The next scheduled court appearance for Louis Mills is on August 11.
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