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Officers said José Diaz, 29, of East Main Street, crossed the yellow line and struck the curb, nearly hitting an oncoming taxi cab and other cars at about 1:45 a.m.
Diaz failed field sobriety tests and, when asked, told officers he had a gun under the driver’s seat, police said.
Looking through the car, police found a loaded Lorcin L380 pistol under the seat, along with assorted pills and two baggies filled with a powdery substance that field-tested positive for cocaine, police said.
Diaz told the officers that a man in Bridgeport had given him the gun in 2014 in exchange for a tattoo, police said.
They also found a baseball bat, which Diaz said he used as his “first line of defense,” police said.
Diaz was charged with possession of narcotics, carrying a gun without a permit, two counts of weapons in a motor vehicle and carrying a firearm while under the influence, police said.
He was released on $5,000 bond to family members, police said. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 22.
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