Flight Attendant Attempts to Carry Gun Thru Security

[Shoot_First]

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2 ... -security/

A Republic Airlines flight attendant was detained and then charged with disorderly conduct after she attempted to pass through security at the Philadelphia International Airport with a loaded .38 revolver in her purse, triggering an incident in which police accidentally discharged the weapon while securing it, authorities said.
According to officials, at 6:33 a.m. today, the flight attendant entered a Terminal C security checkpoint lane with a loaded .38 caliber Smith and Wesson Airweight revolver in her purse.
A Transportation Security Administration employee discovered the gun on the x-ray machine and notified police.
The flight attendant was taken to secondary screening room, where an airport police officer attempted to unload the gun, and it discharged into a wall.
There were no injuries to passengers, employees or police, officials said.
The flight attendant, who police said had a valid Chester County permit to carry a concealed weapon, was charged with disorderly conduct, as per Airport Unit policy.
The permit was confiscated and forwarded to the Chester County Sheriff, and the weapon — an Airweight revolver — was confiscated by the crime scene unit and transported to for testing.
The actions of the officer who discharged the weapon will be reviewed by the Philadelphia Police Department Internal Affairs unit.
The Airweight is a small frame, aluminum alloy, short barrel personal defense revolver and is among the most popular of these.

[C-dub]

LE: "We're professionals. We are the only one's that should be BANG. Man, that's a light trigger."
Woman: "Officer, what was your finger doing on the trigger?"

[jmra]

Officer should be fired and arrested just like any non LEO who discharged a weapon in an airport.

[StewNTexas]

I would think that a revolver would be one of the easiest and safest firearms to 'clear'. There I go, thinking again....

[snatchel]

How embarrassing. Turns out that when you keep your finger off the trigger, it fails to go off. Isn't the trigger on an airweight like three miles long and 30 lbs?

[cheezit]

how on earth does one ND a revolver.
please no need to awnser

[Reds45ACP]

Officer should be fired and arrested just like any non LEO who discharged a weapon in an airport.

...Yeah. Good luck with that.

[SC1903A3]

Bet he was a young kid with no wheel gun experience.

[SRH78]

Prufeshunels

Seriously, how do have an ND with a j frame?

[JJVP]

Let's see, how can I get the ammo out of the round thingy? Maybe if I pull this thingy here, it will open for me. Yeah, that's it.



Well at least he wasn't looking down the barrel or pointing it towards any one..

[talltex]

Inspires SUCH confidence in the ability of the airport police...I mean, do they have to go through ANY type of training at all ???

[The Annoyed Man]

How embarrassing. Turns out that when you keep your finger off the trigger, it fails to go off. Isn't the trigger on an airweight like three miles long and 30 lbs?

No, it's 4 miles long and 40 lbs., but none of that matters. Let's face it.....anyone dumb enough to negligently discharge a revolver with a trigger like that is also dumb enough to do it on purpose.

[talltex]

Just amazing...if part of the job is disarming and handling firearms...clearing them and securing them....HOW do you wind up with someone who obviously doesn't possess even a basic working knowledge of them. I'm not expecting a gunsmith, but really...that's just ridiculous!

[jimlongley]

I have to wonder if this is another case of the gun not being carried on the body and thus forgotten.

The thing that bothers me, beyond the obvious incompetence of the officer handling the gun, is: "and the weapon — an Airweight revolver — was confiscated by the crime scene unit and transported to for testing."

I wonder what they have to test it for. It's a revolver, unless she had it cocked, the trigger requires a long purposeful pull to make it go off (One of my favorite movie things is when one cowboy says to another, "Be carfeful, that thing has a hair trigger!" and it's not even cocked.) so there is really nothing to be tested for.

Or is it one of those where they just assume that the gun may have been used for a crime at some time in its existence so it must be tested.

Or, and more likely, once it's tested, it's in the database no matter what else happens to it, such as a Barry Switzer "mistake" where they let the person off and give him back his gun, but the gun is now recorded in the database.

[Shoot_First]

I recall that when we visited my LEO son in SLC, he remarked that officers on the airport detail were there because they could not cut it on patrol. I wonder if that is typical or unique to SLC.