Southwest Pilot Arrested with Gun at St. Louis Lambert International Airport
St Louis MO Nov 16 2017Â A Southwest Airlines co-pilot was arrested for unlawful use of a weapon Wednesday after trying to carry a loaded gun, which he did not have a permit for, through security at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, the airport said.
Airport police arrested the unnamed 51-year-old man shortly before 5 a.m. Wednesday after Transportation Security Administration officers discovered the 9mm pistol in his carry-on bag at the security checkpoint.
The suspect had been scheduled to co-pilot the plane on Southwest flight 1106 from St. Louis to Las Vegas.
“The suspect did not have any conceal and carry permit or any other authorization to carry a firearm,” the airport said in a statement Wednesday. “Charges are pending and will be handled through St. Louis County.”
Carrying a weapon through airport security is a federal crime, though TSA has not issued a statement or responded to requests as to whether the man will be charged for that and for illegally possessing a weapon.
A near-identical incident occurred in mid-April when a Southwest co-pilot was arrested for trying to carry a loaded gun through airport security.
That incident took place at Albany International Airport as the first officer had been on his way to fly to Chicago-Midway Airport.
The unnamed man tried to transport a .380-caliber handgun containing six bullets through a TSA checkpoint, where agents made the discovery in his carry-on bag, according to a statement from the federal agency. The X-ray machine first alerted agents to the metal object.
The suspect was detained while local police were called to the scene. The co-pilot was arrested on a weapons charge. The flight to Chicago was delayed four hours.
Each state determines its own firearms policies for air travel. Federal policy for states that do allow travelers and airline employees to carry a gun mandates the item be unloaded, properly packed and declared to the airline.
It’s unclear whether the two men in each incident are the same person.
