Jamal Palms
An Atlantic City man stopped as part of an investigation into a fatal hit-and-run wound up arrested for possession of a handgun.
Jamal Palms, 43, was pulled over Jan. 21, after the a State Police trooper noticed the vehicle matched the one potentially involved in a crash on the Atlantic City Expressway in Hamilton Township on Jan. 12.
The damage to the vehicle was consistent with the damage to the vehicle that fled the scene where 39-year-old Natacha Previl was fatally struck, according to the investigation.
Palms has not been charged in the crash.
He was cooperative with the trooper, including getting out of the car and going in for questioning, defense attorney Joe Swift told the judge during a detention hearing Thursday.
The car was impounded, and a search warrant led to discovery of a 9mm handgun under the rear passenger seat, the affidavit states. Multiple rounds of ammunition and hollow-point rounds also were found.
Palms has a prior conviction that makes it illegal for him to possess a gun. He was arrested on three weapons offenses, including three hollow-point rounds found in his jacket pocket, the charges state.
The vehicle is not Palms and there is no proof that he possessed the gun, Swift argued.
He also noted that Palms’ prior conviction is 20 years old, and he has had no arrests since.
Judge Jorge Coombs agreed with the defense’s argument, while noting that “any time we’re talking about handguns, it’s just a scourge across our nation.”
He released Palms with weekly check-ins, alternating between by phone and in person.
