In the early hours of November 1, a Gainesville Police Department officer arrested 29-year-old Quante Kadhari Young from Williston, following a traffic stop in the bustling Midtown area. Young was initially pulled over due to an illegal window tint on his white BMW, but the situation escalated when a firearm and a small quantity of marijuana were discovered inside the vehicle, both of which violated the terms of his probation.
At approximately 2:50 a.m., the officer initiated the stop along the 900 block of West University Avenue. Young, who was behind the wheel, reportedly exhibited a defiant attitude and took his time before bringing the car to a complete halt. As the officer approached, a strong scent of marijuana was detected emanating from the vehicle.
Tensions rose when the officer noticed the passenger making sudden movements towards the space between his seat and the car door, actions that the officer interpreted as potentially reaching for a weapon. In response, the officer drew his firearm but refrained from aiming it directly at the passenger, instead issuing a warning to cease any further movement towards that area.
The passenger, denying any attempt to reach for a weapon, acknowledged the presence of a firearm in the car. The officer then spotted a pistol lying openly on the front passenger floorboard. Consequently, both Young and his passenger were instructed to exit the vehicle for further investigation.
During the search, neither Young nor his passenger could produce a medical marijuana card. The officer found marijuana residue on the floorboard, which tested positive for the substance, further complicating Young’s legal predicament.
Both men reportedly said they do not have a medical marijuana card, and a search of the vehicle reportedly produced crumbs on the floorboard that tested positive for marijuana.
The passenger said the firearm belonged to him.
Post Miranda, Young reportedly said he didn’t know there was a gun in the car but said the car belonged to him.
The officer concluded that the gun was within Young’s reach and that Young “should have reasonably known about the firearm in his vehicle. As such, [Young] exercised constructive possession over the firearm.”
Young was arrested for violating probation. He has juvenile convictions between 2010 and 2013, two adult felony convictions (non-violent), and five adult misdemeanor convictions (non-violent). He was sentenced to three years of probation in 2024 for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia; he was charged with driving without a valid license in November 2024, but Judge William Davis reinstated his probation with the original terms, and the charge was dropped.
Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him held without bail until the probation violation is resolved.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
