Erratic driving in Westhampton leads to gun charges

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

WESTHAMPTON - A Huntington man faces weapons charges after leading police on a car chase through two Hilltowns Saturday night, after which police seized a loaded gun from his car, according to court documents.

Stephen A. Speckels, 27, of 96 Searle Road in Huntington, pleaded innocent Tuesday in Northampton District Court to charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, failure to stop for police, threatening to commit a crime, carrying a firearm while intoxicated, carrying a rifle in public and three counts of improperly storing a firearm.

At 8:30 p.m., Westhampton police Sgt. Floyd Fisher responded to a call about a disabled Toyota Tacoma pick up truck on Laurel Hill Road. While en route, Fisher saw a truck matching the description speed by and followed it. The driver reportedly began honking the horn, swerving from one side of the road to the other and revving the truck's engine not realizing that the parking brake was on, according to Fisher.

Speckels reportedly accelerated to speeds over 60 mph and eventually stopped when his car broke down on Rattle Hill Road in Southampton.

After asking Speckels several times to leave the vehicle, he finally did so, after which police reportedly found three rifles and several rounds of ammunition on the front seat. All three rifles were reportedly found without trigger locks and one was fully loaded with a bullet in the chamber, according to court documents.

Speckels reportedly failed a series of field sobriety tests and police determined through a chemical breath test that his blood alcohol content was .25; more than three times the legal limit.

During the booking process, Speckels reportedly told an officer that if he had a gun he would "put it on him" while making a trigger-pulling gesture. He then asked for the officer's pen saying he wanted to stab him with it, according to court documents.

Judge Richard J. Carey ordered Speckels to appear in court for a Sept. 16 pretrial hearing and released him on his own recognizance.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com