Some people are not going to like my take on this. Yes I was sworn, but that was a long time ago. That said, I have made the mistake of going through TSA armed several times (I used to travel by air 4-5 times a week.) over the years where they allowed the problems to be transferred to my checked luggage where there were already properly checked firearms instead of making a big deal out the situation. In every case, I had forgotten I had something in my carry on luggage. The TSA and the local police listened and were sensible about it. In one situation, the offending products were six loaded handgun magazines sans the actual firearm. In another it was my HALO knife which was part of my skydiving gear that had been put in my briefcase months before and forgotten. The real problem there was it was an auto and in the state the airport was at, autos were illegal. That was more complicated, but it quickly resolved once I was transported off airport grounds by actual LEOs.
That said, when flying our of our local airport one day, I was in the TSA line behind our local Sheriff when he set off the metal detectors. It turned out he had several pieces of metal he did not remember he was carrying. They just decided after he pulled out several pairs of handcuffs that was enough and let him through. After we made it through the line he confessed to me that he also had a Seecamp .25 ACP in a groin holster he had forgotten to put in his checked luggage.
I would also point out that prior to changes in the law, that I, along with many others, routinely carried when flying and were encouraged by the airlines to carry the guns on our person rather than in our luggage. There were no highjacking back then until the nuts started carrying explosives with deadman switches.
I have always respected any LEO or LEO surrogate that used judgement and had little or no respect for those who chose to only go by the book.
money to the sheriff's department. These are the same people that are shooting my cats. Payback will be HELL on them! Cops are useless here!
