Local prosecutors and police do not have limitless resources… poorly used and a lot maybe, but I think people would be surprised what the constraints are.
> Local prosecutors and police do not have limitless resources
Technically true but just a lawyer's time (for "free") is significant. Throw in other prosecutors, investigators, etc and it begins to look "limitless". And beyond that, with a gun charge, it could be escalated to the state level pretty quickly. Alternatively, if he illegally possessed it - common if there are drugs - it could qualify for Federal charges.
It's up to the prosecutor(s) to decide what the charges are and at what level, therefore they get to decide what resources to expend.
Local prosecutors and police do not have limitless resources… poorly used and a lot maybe, but I think people would be surprised what the constraints are.