San Leandro Police Say Man Tossed Handgun While Fleeing Traffic Stop

SAN LEANDRO (CBS SF) -- A San Pablo man was arrested in San Leandro early Sunday morning after police allegedly saw him dispose of a gun during a traffic stop.

Around 12:50 a.m., an officer on patrol near the intersection of Parrot Street and Washington Avenue conducted a traffic stop on a Honda Accord with two males inside, according to police Lt. Jeff Tudor.

The passenger then exited the car and fled on foot. Police set up a perimeter around the area and searched for him.

An alert officer spotted the suspect standing in a nearby driveway and saw him remove a handgun from his waistband and try to throw it under a nearby car, according to police.

Officers stopped the suspect, identified as Francisco Patino, 22. Police identified Patino as the passenger from the traffic stop and found that the weapon he had tried to discard was a loaded handgun reported stolen out of Placer County, police said.

"Great observations and diligent teamwork led to the arrest of Mr. Patino," Tudor said. "This was a dangerous situation that thankfully ended peacefully."

The driver of the Honda Accord was identified and released at the scene.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed)