WILMINGTON, DE — A routine traffic stop led to the arrest of a Wilmington man, Joel Hurtt, on January 28, 2025, after he allegedly fled the scene and discarded a firearm during a brief pursuit.
At around 2:28 a.m., officers from the Wilmington Police Department’s Uniformed Services Division observed a vehicle committing a traffic violation near South Clayton and Cedar Streets. After stopping the vehicle, the officers made contact with the driver and passenger, later identified as 29-year-old Hurtt.
When officers attempted to engage Hurtt, he allegedly exited the vehicle and fled on foot, discarding a 9mm handgun during the escape. Police quickly apprehended Hurtt after a brief chase and recovered the loaded firearm, which was later confirmed to have been previously reported as stolen.
Hurtt has been charged with several offenses, including Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon, Receiving a Stolen Firearm, and Resisting Arrest. After his arraignment at Justice of the Peace Court 20, Hurtt was committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution with bail set at $24,000 cash-only.
Law enforcement officials remind the public that these charges are allegations, and Hurtt is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
