Solano NewsNet freelance photojournalist arrested in Vacaville

A freelance photojournalist for Solano NewsNet was arrested by police in Vacaville following an alleged altercation early Thursday morning.

The photographer, Nicholas Wilson of Fairfield, was in the process of being booked into the Solano County jail on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm in his vehicle, a Vacaville police sergeant confirmed in a phone interview.

The incident started around 12:10 a.m. when Wilson was allegedly involved in a verbal altercation with another person near the intersection of Leisure Town Road and Orange Drive.

Police located Wilson in the drive-thru of a nearby fast food restaurant and conducted a traffic stop a short time later. During the stop, Wilson allegedly admitted to being involved in the altercation, a police sergeant told Solano NewsNet by phone.

Employees of the local McDonald’s told an officer that Wilson was simply there to make a food purchase, and did not threaten anyone, according to police dispatches. But Wilson was detained after officers found a loaded, unsecure firearm in his vehicle, the police sergeant said.

Wilson was in the process of being booked into Solano County jail on a single firearm-related charge as of 2 a.m. Wednesday.

Wilson has worked as a freelance photojournalist for Solano NewsNet since 2021, and frequently covers matters involving public safety. His work puts him in constant contact with law enforcement from throughout Solano County, and he is well-known to officers in our coverage area.

His most recent assignment involved coverage of a fireworks warehouse explosion nearby Yolo County last month, during which he captured numerous photographs and on-the-scene video.

Wilson possesses media credentials that identify him as a Solano NewsNet photographer, and his press pass was renewed earlier this month. He was not on assignment at the time of his arrest.

In addition to his work for Solano NewsNet, Wilson’s photography and video journalism has been published by the Fairfield-Suisun Daily Republic newspaper and KXTV Channel 10 in Sacramento.