Negligent discharge when loaded handgun is discovered in a carry-on

[Hump66]

It wasn't the TSA that was responsible for the discharging of the weapon. TSA found the firearm during screening, and an Atlanta PD officer that trying to clear it caused the discharge.

Thank you! My brain was about to explode.

 

[Mos Eisley]

Ouch! That'll cost him $1,500!

Uh, it can be substantially more than that...

This policy directive provides sanction guidance for imposing civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation for aircraft operators and up to $10,000 per violation for all other persons, including individuals, when a determination is made that civil penalty enforcement action should be taken.

I know this as I was threatened by a TSA agent with this penalty for having a dinner knife in a carry-on. I had been to a potluck dinner a few days before at work. I went through this bag twice before I left for the airport and the knife was in a crevice of the backpack. If I had an x-ray machine at home I would have found it. I didn't leave it to the TSA to decide, I wrote my Congresswoman and it was taken care of.

 

[ripnbst]

Yeah, I don't know how the idiot cop shot himself in the face while clearing the gun either. I've seen people open the cylinder and then hold the gun upside down by the trigger guard to have gravity help the bullets fall out. Maybe that is what he was doing but forgot the part about opening the cylinder first???

On another note, why would someone CC with rat shot? That's not going to stop a determined attacker, penetration is downright terrible.

Thirdly, a guy the size of the man in the picture would be the absolute last guy I'd attempt to mug and a guy that size could easily conceal much more than a .22 MAG.

There are so many facets of this story that make no sense to me.

 

[Glocktogo]

Uh, it can be substantially more than that...



I know this as I was threatened by a TSA agent with this penalty for having a dinner knife in a carry-on. I had been to a potluck dinner a few days before at work. I went through this bag twice before I left for the airport and the knife was in a crevice of the backpack. If I had an x-ray machine at home I would have found it. I didn't leave it to the TSA to decide, I wrote my Congresswoman and it was taken care of.

Trust me, it will be $1,500.

You were never in danger of a civil penalty for the dinner knife. That doesn't fall within the sanction guidance. At most you'd have gotten a Warning Notice, but only if there were aggravating circumstances.

 

[dowmace]

Yeah, I don't know how the idiot cop shot himself in the face while clearing the gun either. I've seen people open the cylinder and then hold the gun upside down by the trigger guard to have gravity help the bullets fall out. Maybe that is what he was doing but forgot the part about opening the cylinder first???

On another note, why would someone CC with rat shot? That's not going to stop a determined attacker, penetration is downright terrible.

Thirdly, a guy the size of the man in the picture would be the absolute last guy I'd attempt to mug and a guy that size could easily conceal much more than a .22 MAG.

There are so many facets of this story that make no sense to me.

There is a possibility that he honestly forgot the gun was in there, at least thats what I'm going to make myself believe. I can't figure out what he could have been attempting as he knew they would find the gun through an x-ray.

 

[Old Fart]

It wasn't the TSA that was responsible for the discharging of the weapon. TSA found the firearm during screening, and an Atlanta PD officer that trying to clear it caused the discharge.

Correct amundo! My Bad......

 

[TulsaGeoff]

Hmmm that sucks for the gun owner. At the same time, he needs to be responsible for his negligence. At $1500, I bet he doesn't do it again.

 

[inactive]

I wonder if the pistol was a NAA mini revolver. If so, it can be tricky to remover the cylinder and clear if one if not familiar with them.

 

[Perplexed]

The report does state that the cop said a pellet fragment hit his cheek. If the report is correct in that regard, to me it implies a ricochet where the pellet broke up on something hard before the fragment came back and hit the cop. So he may not have had the firearm pointed at himself, but he was still singularly careless with the negligent discharge.

 

[Jefpainthorse]

This kind of thing has happemed before... use a bag you use for something else and -oops! the gun gets to the airport.

I keep telling you guys that Cops are not gun guys. You ought to watch some of the younger city cops try to unload a 1911 some time....