Dispute over football match ends with man arrested for firearms offenses

Sept. 30—WILKES-BARRE — A fight between two brothers during a football game at the Kirby Park athletic field resulted in a man being arrested for firearms offenses Saturday.

Emmanuel Solomon, 26, of Sterling Avenue, was arraigned by District Judge Alexandra Kokura Kravitz of Pittston on charges of carrying a firearm prohibited without a license, unlawful possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment and possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Center for lack of $25,000 bail.

According to the criminal complaint, police responded to the Kirby Park soccer field shortly after 2 p.m. for a fight in progress and a man with a gun.

An off-duty officer told officers that a shirtless man wearing sweatpants had a gun and was still in the field. Another witness said the firearm was in a black bag on the field.

No one took possession of the bag despite repeated questions from officers.

When police deemed the bag abandoned, the bag was searched which uncovered a 9mm firearm with one round in the chamber, loose rounds of 9mm and .380 caliber ammunition and two bags of suspected marijuana, the complaint states.

An ID recovered from a wallet inside the bag belonged to Solomon, who was with the crowd in sweatpants and no shirt, according to the complaint.

Three .380 caliber bullets were allegedly removed from Salomon’s sweatpants pocket.

Participants in the game told police that Solomon had an argument with his brother and that Solomon then retrieved a gun and pointed it at his brother, the complaint states.

Police in the complaint say a records check showed a warrant for Solomon’s arrest from Hanover Township police.

Solomon told police he was a member of the “Blood” gang and found the gun he was carrying for protection, the complaint states.