Police cite Henrico man with loaded handgun at RIC
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A Henrico man was cited by police after Transportation Security Administration officers prevented him from carrying a loaded handgun and knife onto his flight Jan. 6 at Richmond International Airport.
The .40-caliber gun and the knife were spotted inside the man’s a carry-on bag when a TSA officer who was staffing the checkpoint X-ray monitor spotted the weapons. The gun was loaded with 13 bullets. TSA then alerted the police who confiscated the handgun and knife and cited the man on weapons charges. It was the first such firearms violation of the year at RIC, following at least 17 last year.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided locked case, and packed separately from ammunition. The locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
TSA has the right to issue civil penalties to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch to thousands of dollars, depending upon the circumstances. Penalties apply to people with or without concealed gun carry permits, because those permits do not allow firearms to be brought onto planes.
A complete list of civil penalties is posted online.
TSA PreCheck members who incur the penalties also will lose their PreCheck privileges.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Travelers also should contact their airlines, which may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
