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VALDOSTA — A Valdosta man was arrested Tuesday on firearms charges.

Police headed to the 1800 block of Claudia Circle after someone called E911 about a suspect with a handgun, according to a Valdosta Police Department statement.

An officer found a man who fit the caller’s description and talked with him; the officer saw a large object in the suspect’s waistband.

When the officer confronted the man about the object, he tried to flee into a home, police said.

The officer grabbed the suspect and both of them fell to the ground; as the officer tried to put handcuffs on the suspect, the man kept reaching for his waistband, police said.

The officer took the suspect into custody and found a handgun on the floor where the suspect had been, according to the statement.

The suspect — a 36-year-old Valdosta man — is charged with felony possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, felony possession of a Schedule I narcotic, felony theft by receiving stolen property (firearm) and misdemeanor obstruction of a law enforcement officer, police said.

“I am extremely proud of this officer. Due to his training and experience, he knew the offender had a gun and he immediately took action to prevent the offender from being able to obtain a tactical advantage on him. The officer’s quick actions prevented this situation from escalating,” Police Chief Leslie Manahan said in a statement.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.