NATCHEZ — An incident involving the mixture of drugs, weapons and alcohol from this past weekend prompted a plea from Natchez Police Chief Walter Armstrong asking for the public’s help.

Last Saturday night, officers pulled over a vehicle reportedly traveling at 65 miles per hour — 20 miles per hour above the limit — with three occupants.

Two occupants — 25-year-old driver Forest Williams Jr. and 22-year-old passenger Darius McMorris — were arrested for DUI and possession of marijuana, respectively. The third occupant was not charged with any crime.

But the black ashtray with a lit blunt reportedly sitting on the console was not what caused Armstrong’s plea for help.

Rather, it was the Glock 27 .40-caliber pistol with a drum magazine attached that added another 40-50 rounds of ammunition, Armstrong said. A Walther P22 pistol was also found in their possession.

Though no weapons charges were levied because the gun was legally possessed, Armstrong said, the incident perturbed him.

“While we had a quiet holiday weekend … to know that individuals are riding around with these type weapons in the ready position is very disturbing to me,” Armstrong said. “Again, very young men, and you have to wonder why is it that they feel a need to ride the streets of Natchez with this type of firepower.”

Armstrong said this case is more of a microcosm than an isolated incident.

“We get shots fired calls often in Natchez,” Armstrong said. “Thank goodness they don’t always strike a target, but I’m curious as to why the need was to have this type of firepower.”

He also said the department had received shots fired calls that night, though nothing indicated either of these two individuals had been involved in the firing of a weapon.

The chief stressed that his issue is not merely with having the gun present in a car, as Mississippi citizens maintain that right by state law. His problem, Armstrong said, lies with the high capacity of the weapon, which he said is unnecessary, along with the involvement of alcohol and drugs while in possession of such a weapon.

As a remedy to this issue, Armstrong believes the community must get involved.

Armstrong has preached community oversight since coming to Natchez earlier this year, and Wednesday he applied the principle to young adults — whom he still sees as “kids” — in Natchez in possession of weapons.

Even though these individuals were in their 20s, Armstrong still sees a need for parents to remain involved and monitor their children in regard to this type of activity.

“It would be hard for me to believe that a parent of these young men will condone them having that amount of firepower,” he said. “Not having a gun — I’m okay with that. But to have that amount of firepower in the hands of some young men who are  riding around, consuming and driving while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, it would be hard pressed for me to believe that parents would condone that.”

Armstrong said reducing the amount of this type of heavy-duty weaponry being carried on the streets could go a long way toward a safer community.

“Basically we’re just asking the citizens of Natchez to work with us in getting these dangerous weapons off the streets of Natchez,” he said.

Armstrong said Wednesday he plans to speak with Williams Jr. and McMorris about Saturday’s incident.