Solano NewsNet photojournalist released from custody following traffic stop, arrest

A freelance photojournalist for Solano NewsNet has been released from jail following a traffic stop that led to his arrest early Thursday morning.

Police detained, and later arrested, Nicholas Wilson of Fairfield on one count of carrying a loaded firearm in a public place, according to jail booking logs reviewed by Solano NewsNet.

The incident unfolded around midnight near a gas station at the intersection of Leisure Town Road and Orange Drive. Police were initially dispatched to a report of a verbal altercation between two people, one of whom was identified as Wilson. Officers were told that Wilson was believed to have a rifle resembling an air soft gun in his car.

Police located Wilson in the drive-thru of a nearby restaurant and conducted a traffic stop. Wilson informed officers that he had a firearm in the backseat of the car. He consented to a vehicle search, and police took custody of a SIG Sauer pistol, which they determined Wilson was legally allowed to possess.

The pistol was loaded with ammunition, a police sergeant told a Solano NewsNet editor in a phone interview, and Wilson was arrested on a misdemeanor count of possessing a loaded firearm in a public space.

Online records show Wilson was booked into jail around 2 a.m. He was released from custody after posting bail a few hours later. In a phone interview on Thursday, Wilson denied being involved in an altercation; he is in the process of hiring a private lawyer.

Under California law, it is illegal to drive with a loaded, unsecure firearm in a vehicle unless a person has possession of a concealed carry permit, commonly known as a CCW. It was not immediately clear if Wilson had possession of a permit that allows him to carry a firearm with ammunition in public.

Wilson has worked as a freelance photojournalist for Solano NewsNet since 2021, and often covers matters involving public safety, which makes him well-known to local law enforcement and first responders. His recent assignments include coverage of a warehouse explosion in Yolo County last month and a fatal shooting at a gas station in Vacaville two weeks ago.

In addition to his freelance work, Wilson was previously employed as a security guard in Fairfield and a tow truck driver in Vacaville. He is also a volunteer at a community church in Solano County.