An Army soldier on bereavement leave from her Iraq deployment was arrested yesterday at MacArthur Airport after federal baggage screeners found a loaded gun in her checked luggage, Suffolk police said.That's wonderful--we trust her to deploy with access to all kinds of weaponry in the service of the state, but one little revolver for her own protection and here come the "Only Ones." Welcome home, soldier. Glad we could add to your grief.
Spc. Vonda Collier, who is from San Antonio, did not have a New York license to carry the Taurus revolver found in her baggage yesterday morning during a routine search by a Transportation Security Administration screener, police said.
Too bad she wasn't an anti-gun politician. Or a famous actor. Or even "a beloved comedian."
There may be a silver lining, though. Military people experiencing first-hand what the score is may not end up being a bad thing in the long run...assuming they end up being treated like the rest of us.
[Via Zachary G]
She has a huge problem now that she has been charged with a felony. Good bye Army and a lot of other things that citizens can not do once they are convicted felons.
ReplyDeleteDidn't these assholes just lose a case like exactly like this over a traveler transporting his firearm from one venue where it is allowed to another where it is allowed? Transit being his only relationship to Bloomberg Nation.
ReplyDeleteWasn't it just recently established that the prosecution of such is contrary to federal law? This would be a good time to handcuff and prosecute some TSA personnel and prosecutors.
Flying with a gun in checked baggage isn't a problem. I do it all the time.
ReplyDeleteFlying with a loaded gun in checked baggage is a major no-no, and for good reason.
While it might not pose a serious threat to the plane itself (planes can handle small holes without too much trouble) if it were to discharge, but there's a decidedly non-zero chance of a bullet passing through the passenger compartment and striking a passenger. This is a Very Bad Thing.
Yes, it sucked that the soldier was arrested, but they absolutely should not have had a loaded gun in their checked baggage.
I dunno, AR--there's a decidedly non-zero chance of a FEDERAL AIR MARSHAL'S bullet striking a passenger, too...:)
ReplyDeleteIf they'd just let us keep them on our persons, this wouldn't be a problem.
Sing it with me boys, by now you all know the chorus by heart...
ReplyDeleteThe Terrorists Hate America Because We Are Free!
David,
ReplyDeleteThere's a difference between a loaded gun being carried in a holster where the owner has some degree of control over it and a loaded gun in a suitcase that's been tossed around by the baggage handlers and may or may not have other bags and whatnot poking at it.
I'd feel much more comfortable if the gun was under the control of a person, whether an Air Marshal or private citizen.
Either way, having a loaded firearm in checked baggage is a Bad Thing, and against federal law...and for good reason.
While it might not be nice for the cops to arrest the soldier, the soldier *did* break the law, and the cops aren't paid to be nice.