Albany County District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon announced today that a 32-year-old Albany man who fled from Albany County Sheriff’s Deputies during a traffic stop and tossed a gun out of his vehicle has been sentenced to prison.

The Honorable Roger McDonough sentenced Jamarl Townsend to serve 10 years in state prison Thursday. Townsend, who will also face five years of post-release supervision, was found guilty of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and Tampering with Physical Evidence after a three-day jury trial in January.

On Dec. 5, 2024, Albany County Sheriff’s Deputies observed a Nissan Rogue violate traffic laws in the area of Lexington Avenue and Sherman Street. When they attempted to conduct a vehicle stop, the car sped off in the wrong lane and headed westbound onto Central Avenue at a high rate of speed.

Deputies observed the driver toss a black bag out of the window, and another officer close by secured the bag, which contained a .45-caliber handgun loaded with 10 rounds. The driver accelerated and then brake-checked, causing the Deputies in pursuit to crash into the Nissan and call off the chase. The vehicle was later found abandoned at the intersection of Willow and West Lawrence streets.

An investigation led police to identify Townsend as the driver. New York State Police located and arrested him during a traffic stop on the evening of March 12, 2025.

Assistant District Attorney Marissa Schatzel and Trial Assistant Katelyn Kaczkowski prosecuted the case.