Armed drug dealers are taken off the streets
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City cops busted four men on drug charges and seized a handgun while doing surveillance in Greenville Friday, officials said.

At 6:29 p.m., police arrested Douglas Hall, 41, of Duncan Avenue, and Rowan A. Vassell, 28, of Stegman Street, charging both with numerous drug-dealing charges, reports said. Hall was also charged with weapons offenses, including possession of a weapon by a felon, reports said.

Working on a tip, cops set up surveillance at Arlington and Myrtle avenues and watched as Hall and Vassell allegedly took turns accepting money from people in exchange for drugs, reports said. While watching, Hall took off his shirt and cops said they saw a pistol tucked in his waistband, reports said.

When police closed on the pair, Vassell ran away through yards but was caught and found to have two large bags containing suspected marijuana, reports said.

Hall ran into a building and numerous officers entered to find him walking down the stairs in a changed shirt and asking "What's going on?" reports said. He was arrested and police found an empty holster in his waistband, reports said. In an apartment police found a semiautomatic handgun, five sandwich bags containing suspected marijuana, and drug paraphernalia, reports said.

Also arrested for possession of marijuana after visiting with Hall and Vassell, were Michael Pleasants, 24, of Highland Avenue, and Nathaniel Robertson, 26, of Clerk Street, reports said.