(www.defense-technology.com) A Deftec 40mm single launcher, the weapon stolen from a Manchester police cruiser, allegedly by a Nashua resident, in February.

NASHUA — A 37-year-old Nashua man is in custody facing numerous charges after police tracked him down with the intent to serve a pending warrant for his arrest, police said.

Joshua Michael Smith, of 4 Marshall St., Apt. 310, was eventually arrested not only on the charges for which the warrant was issued, but for allegedly stealing a “less than lethal” weapon known as a Deftec “single launcher” that fires soft projectiles such as “rubber bullets” designed to stun a suspect using non-lethal force.

Smith allegedly took the weapon, which Nashua police said was in a red duffel bag, on Feb. 15 from a Manchester cruiser after the officers pulled up to the scene of an officer assistance call and got out of the car in the area of Beech and Laurel streets.

When the officers returned to the cruiser, one of them noticed that its hatch was ajar, and discovered that the lock wasn’t working properly.

They also noticed that the weapon was missing, and upon reporting it an investigation was launched, police said.

Manchester police said the cruiser was temporarily removed from service to allow investigators to assess the problem with the lock.

Late the evening of March 8, some three weeks following the theft, a Nashua detective, in possession of the warrant for Smith’s arrest, was conducting surveillance of the apartment building at 4 Marshall St., knowing that Smith and his wife, Natacha Davis Smith, lived in the building.

According to police reports, the detective eventually observed Smith and his wife get into a taxi that had pulled up to the apartment building, and noted that Smith was carrying a red duffel bag at the time.

It’s not known whether the detective was aware at the time that a duffel bag matching that description was sought by Manchester police in connection with the Feb. 15 theft of the weapon from a Manchester cruiser.

The detective stated in reports that he began following the taxi while radioing officers in the area.

He said he followed the taxi to Pierce Street, at which time patrol officers attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop, but Smith allegedly got out and took off on foot, allegedly ignoring officers’ commands to stop.

Officers caught up to him after a brief pursuit, however, and placed him under arrest. Smith allegedly had a fixed-blade knife in a sheath on his belt, police said.

Once Smith was in custody, the officers took possession of the duffel bag, and upon taking inventory of its contents, discovered the weapon, which they described as a “Defense Technology 40 mm LMT Single Launcher,” and determined it was the one stolen from the Manchester cruiser in February.

Meanwhile, Natacha Davis Smith, who apparently wasn’t arrested, agreed to an interview with detectives at police headquarters.

According to police reports, she told detectives the weapon, which she called a “riot gun,” had been at her home for about a day, and that it was left there “by a relative of Smith.”

Police said Natacha told them that she and Smith were intending to sell the gun to an acquaintance on Pierce Street.

Joshua Smith, meanwhile, spoke only briefly with detectives, allegedly admitting to running from officers “to evade capture due to having an existing warrant for his arrest,” police wrote.

Beyond that, Smith “would not talk about anything else, and the interview was ended,” according to police.

According to the reports, Smith was arrested on a total of three capias warrants and an out-of-town warrant in addition to the charges stemming from the alleged theft of the weapon.

Those include two counts of felon in possession of a dangerous weapon and one count of receiving stolen property, all felonies; and one count of resisting arrest or detention, a Class A misdemeanor.

Smith is next scheduled to appear in court on May 12, for a dispositional conference.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.