EPD officer hits Kentucky man with Taser as he grabs 'machine gun'

EVANSVILLE — A traffic stop Monday allegedly led to the seizure of what Evansville police described as an illegally modified “machine gun” after a passenger allegedly fled the stop while in possession of the weapon.

On Monday at 1:40 p.m., a police officer stopped a vehicle near the intersection of Columbia Street and Bartlett Avenue, apparently for driving 52 mph in a “40 mph zone,” according to a sworn affidavit filed by the department Evansville Police Department.

“A passenger in the vehicle, later identified as Kolby Deno, 24, immediately exited the vehicle and fled on foot from the officer,” said EPD Sgt. Trudy Day wrote in a press release issued Tuesday.

Deno is believed to be a Kentucky resident and was on probation at the time of his arrest for a prior firearm offense, according to court records.