ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. — A Lancaster County man is facing numerous charges -- including a count of kidnapping -- after attempting to compel the driver of the car he was riding in to flee from a traffic stop in Elizabethtown overnight, according to Elizabethtown Police.
Darius Luciano, 24, of the first block of N. Poplar St. in Elizabethtown, is also charged with illegal possession of a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license, and recklessly endangering another person, according to police.
Luciano is accused of discharging a shotgun inside the vehicle he was riding in and threatening to shoot the driver if the driver did not flee from the scene of the traffic stop, which occurred Tuesday at about 1:53 a.m. on the first block of Masonic Drive, police say.
The officer ran the vehicle's registration and discovered it was operating without insurance, police allege in the criminal complaint.
According to police, Luciano was in the back seat of the vehicle when officer initiated the traffic stop. The driver and another passenger were in the front seat. Luciano was slumped over and appeared to be under the influence, police say.
The driver of the vehicle told police Luciano was sleeping.
The officer returned to his vehicle to run the driver's registration, police say. While there, the officer heard a loud bang coming from the suspect vehicle, and the other passenger exited and walked toward police. Luciano was seen brandishing a firearm, later determined to be a shotgun, inside the vehicle, according to police.
Luciano exited the vehicle on his stomach and fled from the scene, ignoring commands to stay on the ground, police say. Police secured the driver and passenger of the vehicle, and Luciano was later found and taken into custody in the area of West Bainbridge St., police say.
The driver told police that when the officer returned to his patrol vehicle, Luciano began talking about not wanting to return to jail and discharged the shotgun. He told the driver to flee the scene and threatened to shoot him if he did not comply.
Both the driver and the other passenger told police they were in fear for their lives, police say.
Police later determined Luciano had a 2014 felony burglary conviction, making it illegal for him to possess a firearm.
