TSA misses loaded handgun, owner self identifies, then is charged.

www.wsbtv.com...

ATLANTA - Channel 2 Action News has confirmed that the Transportation Security Administration fired a screener who missed a loaded handgun in a passenger’s carry-on bag Sunday morning at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. According to an Atlanta police incident report, Katrina Jackson, of Hoover, Alabama, discovered the handgun as she checked her purse for her passport while at the gate. “There’s one thing if you’re missing something suspicious. This was a handgun, so this is a big deal that this got through the TSA screening process,” security expert Brent Brown said. She self-reported to police and officers showed up at the gate to confiscate her gun and bag. Jackson told them she had a permit from Alabama, but did not have it with her. Police arrested her and charged her with unlawful possession of a handgun.

Yes, the TSA sucks and more often then not, just get in the way, but this is a bit troubling. This woman realized the mistake and turned herself in to police, only to be arrested and charged. I would wager that her, and most who read this story would do things differently in the future. She did the right thing, and was punished for it. I'd say, don't be so sure folks will be so honest in the future when you treat them like this.

And for all those who say nobody would take a loaded gun through the TSA checkpoint, I have a friend who did, and he is a very intelligent person. He grabbed his go bag and forgot he had his wife's 380 in the bag. When TSA checked it, just before they all gathered around the bag, he had his epiphany and realized his mistake. He was fined and had the weapon confiscated.

a reply to: network dude

He grabbed his go bag and forgot he had his wife's 380 in the bag.

Sorry to be argumentative mate, but isn't it like rule number 1 of gun ownership to actually know where the firearm is?


As for the actual topic, yeah she did the right thing...
But did they follow the Law?

In other words is it a chargeable offence, whether she admits her mistake or not?


It's like going to ICE and saying "oh yeah I'm illegally here, I've admitted my mistake, don't arrest me please".

Or is that different?

a reply to: network dude

If she had already made it past security she could have just kept it quite and went about her business. She tried to do the right thing and got in trouble.

a reply to: network dude

Government can't protect us. Restrictions on armaments will not make us safer. America has its head in the clouds...or somewhere else.

a reply to: network dude

She self-reported to police and officers showed up at the gate to confiscate her gun and bag. Jackson told them she had a permit from Alabama, but did not have it with her. Police arrested her and charged her with unlawful possession of a handgun.

Right after that she was walking to the plane when a nearby terr suddenly puled an AK from concealment and started shooting. She reflexively reached for her gun, but...

a reply to: Hazardous1408

I didn't say he was perfect, just intelligent. (as in not a drooling idiot)

As far as this case, she did break the law technically, but she had already passed through security, so in reality, is she said nothing, she would have been in much better shape. I just feel like in this case, rather than arrest her and charge her, they should have confiscated the weapon and let her go, perhaps giving the weapon back at a later time. I just hate to see folks punished for doing the right thing. It doesn't promote honesty, it negates it.

She did the right thing after she did the wrong thing. The wrong thing being not realizing she had her freaking gun, which was loaded, in her purse.

Don't get me wrong, TSA is a sewer. I once left an empty magazine in one of my bags and you would've thought I had tried to get a bomb through security with the way they reacted to it. Then you turn around and miss a loaded gun? It's amazing. But it's hard for me to feel awful for a gun owner who's this careless or negligent in gun safety.

a reply to: network dude

I didn't say what I said to make your friend seem like an idiot, but with great power comes great responsibility, yeah?
We can agree on that.

I actually agree that this could have a side effect of people being less honest in a similar situation, but like I said...
Two wrongs don't make a right...

If it's a chargeable offence, they did the right thing, for once I guess.
Cos there is no denying they're a useless agency.

You won't get an argument from me about that.

originally posted by: Hazardous1408
a reply to: network dude

I didn't say what I said to make your friend seem like an idiot, but with great power comes great responsibility, yeah?
We can agree on that.

I actually agree that this could have a side effect of people being less honest in a similar situation, but like I said...
Two wrongs don't make a right...

If it's a chargeable offence, they did the right thing, for once I guess.
Cos there is no denying they're a useless agency.

You won't get an argument from me about that.

don't worry, we rag him relentlessly about it on most occasions. He won't do it again.

This happened to my grandmother. Had her loaded .38 in her purse. Had forgotten about it and was going to terminal and metal detector went off (back before 9/11 when visitors could go to the gate). Totally different time. She wasn't arrested or anything. At Hartsfield too...

a reply to: network dude

Well I should say I don't really believe in all these regulations anyways so at least I hope he got his firearm back from them. & truthfully I believe he did nothing morally wrong. But yes a little banter won't hurt him. 😂

Way to go TSA...Not only do you fail at your job, but then you go and charge the lady and make the news with it...So now anyone who read about this and makes this mistake in the future is going to be hard pressed to let anyone know. Now that makes me feel super safe. Not only do I know it's possible to get past them...But if someone does I doubt they'll be lining up to come clean about it before they fly.

originally posted by: Hazardous1408
a reply to: network dude

Well I should say I don't really believe in all these regulations anyways so at least I hope he got his firearm back from them. & truthfully I believe he did nothing morally wrong. But yes a little banter won't hurt him. 😂

$1500 fine and lost the weapon. (it was his wifes. A pink .380) We asked him if he packed his dress as well. OH, and he's a big dude, like 6'5, so I only rag him when he's in a good mood. (Im not quite 6"5)

originally posted by: RickyD
Way to go TSA...Not only do you fail at your job, but then you go and charge the lady and make the news with it...So now anyone who read about this and makes this mistake in the future is going to be hard pressed to let anyone know. Now that makes me feel super safe. Not only do I know it's possible to get past them...But if someone does I doubt they'll be lining up to come clean about it before they fly.

Yea, because you should totally feel safe knowing there are gun owners on your flight that are so negligent as to forget they're carrying a gun in the first place

That's what kills me here: you're all getting so worked up over the TSA yet don't bat an eyelash at the idea of going to the airport and trying to get on a plane all while having forgotten that you're carrying a loaded gun. That's mind boggling to me lol

originally posted by: Edumakated
This happened to my grandmother. Had her loaded .38 in her purse. Had forgotten about it and was going to terminal and metal detector went off (back before 9/11 when visitors could go to the gate). Totally different time. She wasn't arrested or anything. At Hartsfield too...

And she had a .44 under the car seat and a 12 gauge in the trunk. When the cop stopped her he asked "what are you afraid of ma'am?" to which she replied, "not a damn thing."

thanks, I'll be here all day.

a reply to: Shamrock6

Have you met most people in America...The majority of this country are idiots...Sad but true. And I don't worry about Jane or John Doe forgetting their gun it's the guy who has Ill intent that bothers me. I too have passed through TSA with contraband before...Not such serious contraband but I know they fail pretty bad...And in my case I forgot I even had what I had in my bag either.

I don't worry about guns so much as I carry one myself and it's a normal thing. But to know that they suck that bad at screening and knowing I don't have my own makes me feel vulnerable...I mean look at how things went down at the last airport shootout...I think it was in California of all places too.

originally posted by: RickyD
a reply to: Shamrock6

Have you met most people in America...The majority of this country are idiots...Sad but true. And I don't worry about Jane or John Doe forgetting their gun it's the guy who has Ill intent that bothers me. I too have passed through TSA with contraband before...Not such serious contraband but I know they fail pretty bad...And in my case I forgot I even had what I had in my bag either.

I don't worry about guns so much as I carry one myself and it's a normal thing. But to know that they suck that bad at screening and knowing I don't have my own makes me feel vulnerable...I mean look at how things went down at the last airport shootout...I think it was in California of all places too.

Right after 9/11 I got through TSA with a massive letter opener. It looked like a knife. No way the screener would have known it was a letter opener. Must have been almost a foot long. I had it on my desk and apparently closed it up in a notebook I use. Threw it in my briefcase, not realizing it was in there. Didn't realize it got through TSA until I got to my destination and it fell out when I took my notebook out my briefcase.

Of course, these same dumb asses made me throw out a container of cocoa butter because it was 4 oz instead 3.5oz or whatever the max is (ignoring the fact there probably wasn't but 1oz of cocoa butter in the container).

The dumbest thing I've seen at airports is that the restaurants didn't have real silverware inside the terminal. Went to Wolfgang Pucks and they had to use plastic knifes.

a reply to: network dude

Maybe the case will proceed like when you get a ticket for not having your driver's license on your person? You show the judge that you have the permit and he drops the unlawful possession charge.

originally posted by: Shamrock6

originally posted by: RickyD
Way to go TSA...Not only do you fail at your job, but then you go and charge the lady and make the news with it...So now anyone who read about this and makes this mistake in the future is going to be hard pressed to let anyone know. Now that makes me feel super safe. Not only do I know it's possible to get past them...But if someone does I doubt they'll be lining up to come clean about it before they fly.

Yea, because you should totally feel safe knowing there are gun owners on your flight that are so negligent as to forget they're carrying a gun in the first place

That's what kills me here: you're all getting so worked up over the TSA yet don't bat an eyelash at the idea of going to the airport and trying to get on a plane all while having forgotten that you're carrying a loaded gun. That's mind boggling to me lol

The issue is that a lot of gun owners pretty much pack their weapons all the time. It isn't so much forgetting you have the weapon, but forgetting the weapon is not allowed where you are going. People often do things by rote memory. My co-worker always has his firearm in his briefcase. I can see him needing to go somewhere and just forgetting to take it out of the bag. The bag is where it is 99% of the time.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: network dude

She self-reported to police and officers showed up at the gate to confiscate her gun and bag. Jackson told them she had a permit from Alabama, but did not have it with her. Police arrested her and charged her with unlawful possession of a handgun.

Right after that she was walking to the plane when a nearby terr suddenly puled an AK from concealment and started shooting. She reflexively reached for her gun, but...

The last thing I'd want if a terrorist was shooting up a place is for an unknown civilian shooting back. You have no clue what their training is and you need more than just target practice training to respond in such a situation.