Columbia police find two men with guns using proactive patrols

Columbia police landed two arrests Thursday using proactive patrols in an area designated a “hot spot.”

Officers arrested Chad Thomas and Dushane Griffith near Rice Road for unlawful use of a firearm around 12:40 a.m Thursday.

They were stopped for walking in the middle of the street, but police claim they also found loaded pistols without a permit.

Sergant Joe Bernhard said, “Neither one of them have a conceal and carry permit. They found Chad Thomas was a convicted felon and the second one had a controlled substance.”

“Some places will be a hot spot for a while, we’ll do proactive patrols… the problems will go down and then we will have to put our resources somewhere else”, Bernhard said.

Paula Schneider, a resident of the area, said, “I want to be proactive and make this a place or a neighborhood where kids can play at the park and people can just live in peace.”

She said, “There’s always justice in the end I feel.”

Chad Thomas has served time before. Both men are still in the Boone County Jail.