Utica Police: Report of Machete Unconfirmed, but Firearms Seized

A Utica man is under arrest after police were called to a home for a report of a man "in possession of a machete (acting) in a suspicious manner."  Police were called to the home on the 900 block of Elizabeth Street on Sunday, January 23, 2022 at approximately 1:20pm.

The UPD says that when they arrived they learned that the man did not threaten anyone with the machete.  Police said that callers were also concerned that the suspect had unregistered firearms and they stated that they were concerned for their safety.

At the scene officers say that they "were provided a shotgun and a .380 handgun."   The suspect was brought to the Utica Police Department where, the UPD says, "it was definitely established that the weapons belonged to him."

The suspect was identified as 28-year-old Ler Wah of Utica.

Wah was charged with Criminal Possession of a Firearm.  There was no indication that the report about the machete was accurate.

No injuries were reported as a result of this arrest.

[EDITOR'S NOTE:   This post is for informational purposes and is based largely on information received from the Utica Police Department.  All arrested persons are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.  At the time of this posting no additional information is available.]