Written by Brock Johnson
Last week the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) found a loaded pistol in the bag of California Assemblymember Jim Cooper’s luggage prompting them to call the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office who help Cooper’s firearm until he returned from his trip.
Cooper’s office informed POLITICO that Cooper, a retired law enforcement officer, had accidentally brought a bag that had contained a loaded firearm to airport security. He declined to comment on the situation in an interview outside the Assembly chambers but he stressed that as a retired law enforcement officer, he was within his rights to carry a firearm. While California’s penal code makes it unlawful for people to carry a firearm within secure areas of an airport, it does make an allowance for retired police officers with a concealed carry permit but still bans them from bringing a firearm onto a plane.
Cooper’s mistake could be costly for his political image as he is running for the Sacramento Sheriff. This incident with TSA is not a good look for Cooper’s image as people may question his judgment as most people don’t forget that they have a loaded gun in their bag especially when they are going on a plane. It also doesn’t help him that there are already concerns about the security and storage of firearms by law enforcement officers.
Photo Cred: Office of Jim Cooper/ ABC 10 Sacramento
