Illinois State Rep. Curtis Tarver II (D-25th) was arrested Monday during a traffic stop in Woodlawn and charged with having a handgun without a valid concealed carry license — though he says the arrest stems from a “clerical error” by police.
Officers pulled over Tarver for a broken headlight about 8:30 p.m. in the 6500 block of South Stony Island Avenue and learned he had a handgun with an invalid concealed carry license, Chicago police said in a statement.
He was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of “failure to surrender a concealed carry license,” police said. He posted bond and is due in court Dec. 27.
Tarver says the arrest was the result of a “clerical error,” and that Chicago police records did not reflect the current status of his concealed carry license, according to a statement from Tarver published by Capitol Fax.
Reached Friday morning, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the misdemeanor charge was due to an expired CCL license and that it was “likely a paperwork issue.”
Tarver said he renewed his Firearms Owners Identification Card in August, and that CPD records showed his FOID card was valid two days before the arrest, meaning his CCL should also have been valid, according to the statement.
“Like many people in Chicago, I applied for a concealed carry license in order to keep myself and my daughter safe,” Tarver wrote in the statement. “I take considerable efforts to ensure that I am always in compliance with our state’s laws and following safe practices for handling a firearm.”
Guglielmi said police are looking into the issue.
A spokeswoman for Illinois State Police, which regulates concealed carry licenses, said they do not comment on the status of a person’s CCL license.
Since January 2019, Tarver has served as state representative of the 25th district, which includes parts of the Kenwood, Hyde Park, Woodlawn, South Chicago, South Shore and East Side neighborhoods.
Tarver was also cited for driving with a broken headlight. His office did not immediately reply to messages seeking comment.
