Maine Felon Arrested On Gun Charges At Salem Restaurant

SALEM, NH — A Maine man with prior felony convictions in New Hampshire was arrested on handgun charges after an incident at a Salem restaurant on Wednesday.

Police were called to the Happy Crab Restaurant on South Broadway Street after receiving an anonymous tip about a patron at the bar, a known felon due to a drug-dealing conviction, who was armed with a handgun. A sergeant and officers went to the restaurant and spoke to a host, the manager, and a bartender. The employees claimed that the patron who was armed was being disorderly. During the time he was at the bar, the patron was "getting loud at the bar and swearing," an employee stated.

The officers then went to speak with a man at the bar — Christopher David Robbins, 27, of Sanford, Maine.

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A reporting officer claimed in an affidavit that Robbins had bloodshot, glassy, red eyes, when they began speaking to him. While speaking to Robbins, he stated he did not have identification and that he was not Robbins, according to the court affidavit. Officers requested Robbins put his hands on his head to check for the gun, which he did. One officer felt around Robbins' waistband and removed a Kimber semi-automatic pistol which had a round in its chamber, seven other 9 mm rounds, and was cocked, "meaning it was ready to be fired when it was removed from his person," the officer wrote in an affidavit.

Robbins was arrested and charged with felon in possession of a dangerous weapon and hand guns armed career criminal, both felonies. A review of his criminal history included a controlled drug acts prohibited in Salem and second-degree assault in 2012 and second-degree assault in 2014 in Derry, the officer noted. Robbins was held on preventive detention and is due back in court on April 9 for a dispositional conference.

Editor's note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Salem Police Department and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the removal request process for New Hampshire Patch police reports.

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