Commonwealth v. Johnson

Appealing from her conviction of unlawful possession of a handgun, G. L. c. 269, § 10(a), the defendant argues that the judge erred in denying a motion to suppress the handgun as the product of a search made without probable cause. As found by the judge, the facts were that a Boston police officer on patrol was informed by a neighborhood person known to him that a woman down the street was carrying a handgun in her black purse. She pointed the woman out, and the officer drove his cruiser down the street. He got out and approached the defendant, who was carrying a black handbag and was engaged…