Gainesville Police arrested a local man Sunday night after police said he tried to hide a loaded pistol near Campus Walk Apartments.
At about 7 p.m. Sunday, Steven Jamal Revels, 28, and another man stood in the 900 block of S.W. 8th Ave., according to a report.
Police were already in the area, where high drug sales prompted increased patrols, according to the report.
As police approached the men, Revels walked away. Police then talked with the other man, and Revels soon returned, according to the report.
While one officer spoke with Revels, another officer walked to the corner of the apartment complex where Revels returned from, according to the report.
It was there police found a loaded .38-caliber pistol and a used syringe lying on a bed of rocks, according to the report.
Revels said he needed the gun for protection because he sold drugs, according to the report.
Revels is a seven-time convicted felon whose last charge was for attempted murder in Tampa, according to the report.
Police arrested Revels on charges of possessing a weapon as a convicted felon and tampering with evidence.
Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail where he remains, as of press time, in lieu of a $350,000 bond.
Contact Martin Vassolo at mvassolo@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @martindvassolo.
