Air Marshal Leaves Plane After Dropping Bullets

[Drizzt]

Air Marshal Leaves Plane After Dropping Bullets
Flight To Kansas City Delayed
(AP) CHICAGO A U.S. air marshal removed himself from a Southwest Airlines flight Thursday after dropping a clip of bullets on the floor just before the plane was to leave Midway International Airport, an airline spokeswoman said.

The marshal arrived at Midway on a flight from Philadelphia and he was boarding the Southwest flight bound for Kansas City when the clip fell to the floor, scattering bullets, Southwest spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger told the Chicago Tribune for a story on its Web site.

"Since he was no longer traveling incognito, he decided not to continue on the flight to Kansas City," Eichinger said, adding that no extra screening of passengers was necessary because officials determined the bullets belonged to the air marshal. "He picked the bullets up immediately."

The flight to Kansas City was delayed 45 minutes because of the incident, she said.

The Federal Air Marshal Service declined to confirm the specific circumstances of the mishap. But agency spokesman Dave Adams said an ammunition clip was located and turned over to the Transportation Security Administration.

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_152220748.html

 

[Cosmoline]

 

[WeedWhacker]

Air Marshalls use C96 Mausers for airplane security duty?

... ooooh, he dropped a magazine. I see... I also suppose he had cartridges loaded in it instead of merely bullets.

 

[Arethusa]

 

[The_Shootist]

Where Do They get These Guys???

In my 10 years as a CHL holder I have NEVER dropped ammo/mags/speedloaders in public or been made!!!

Almost makes you want to apply for one of these positions to see whats up....

 

[ProficientRifleman]

I just refuse to believe it.....

Lets face it, ONLY the police are professional enough to posess guns. Wee little serfs like ourselves can't be trusted by big bro....uh... the state, to be responsible with guns.

Onward to Socialism!


Pax Domini, etc...

 

[Zen21Tao]

A U.S. air marshal removed himself from a Southwest Airlines flight Thursday...

I don't know what but the thought of that fight between both of Jim Carrey's personalities in Me, Myself, and Irene comes to mind. I just wonder, did he remove himself at gun point or use excessive force?

 

[History Prof]

Sounds to me like he just wanted a day off, and needed a way to get out of duty...

Either that, or we are SERIOUSLY in trouble with the quality of people who they are hiring for these jobs.......

 

[skidmark]

Sounds like a "wardrobe malfunction" to me.

Otherwise, I'd guess he had to be playing with it, and we all know Air Marshalls don't do things like that.

stay safe.

skidmark

 

[Hal Romberg]

I remember the slogan after 9-11: To professionalize, you must federalize.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

I am not sure we can describe the Air Marshall program as a success. In fact, everything I read makes it sound more like a sick joke.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

I am not sure we can describe the Air Marshall program as a success. In fact, everything I read makes it sound more like a sick joke.

So far, the Air Marshalls have killed more innocent civilians than terrorists.

 

[Manedwolf]

I don't know what but the thought of that fight between both of Jim Carrey's personalities in Me, Myself, and Irene comes to mind. I just wonder, did he remove himself at gun point or use excessive force?

Hopefully, he dragged himself out forcefully by the collar, roughed himself up a bit, then made himself sit on the cold concrete floor in the corner for a while while frowning and filling out incident report forms about himself.

 

[Old Dog]

Stuff happens. Never ceases to amaze me how y'all pile on when someone in a law enforcement capacity experiences an event such as this. Standing by for further ridiculous variations of the same tired quotations ("Only the police and the military are professional enough ...")

So far, the Air Marshalls have killed more innocent civilians than terrorists

LG, way to stay on the High Road. This is a bullcrap statement if I've ever heard one.

 

[distortion9]

Sounds to me like he just wanted a day off, and needed a way to get out of duty...

First thing that came to my mind too.

 

[Manedwolf]

Stuff happens. Never ceases to amaze me how y'all pile on when someone in a law enforcement capacity experiences an event such as this. Standing by for further ridiculous variations of the same tired quotations ("Only the police and the military are professional enough ...")

Because these are supposed to be the best and most trained. And nobody I know in civilian circles that carries every day in every possible locale has ever dropped a magazine in public.

 

[Pilgrim]

"Since he was no longer traveling incognito, he decided not to continue on the flight to Kansas City," Eichinger said, adding that no extra screening of passengers was necessary because officials determined the bullets belonged to the air marshal. "He picked the bullets up immediately."

And thus the flight was made safer by his absence?

The flight to Kansas City was delayed 45 minutes because of the incident, she said.

It took that long for him to pick up his magazine and spilled cartridges?

I wonder how far up the airline and TSA chain of command this incident had to be analyzed before someone said it was Ok for the flight to depart the gate?

Pilgrim

 

[American By Blood]

More than anything else, I'm amazed that there was an Air Marshal on a flight that was neither arriving in nor departing from Reagan National.

 

[Old Dog]

Because these are supposed to be the best and most trained.

Presumably, yes. Though this was a rather stupid goof, and undoubtedly otherwise avoidable, stuff does happen, and can happen to anyone. While some of these folks may have had the opportunity to go through very good training programs, those working stiffs whose employment necessitates the daily carrying of firearms -- usually under far more extreme conditions than

[those you] know in civilian circles that carries every day in every possible locale

-- are just as liable, perhaps more so than your average citizen CCWer, to experience equipment failures, the effects of chronic fatigue and the consequent mistake (leaving a pistol in a public restroom toilet stall comes to mind), goof, blunder or that embarassing (if not career-threatening) high-profile public faux pas as the rest of us.

And nobody I know in civilian circles that carries every day in every possible locale has ever dropped a magazine in public.

Perhaps nobody you know, but I'd suggest if you talk to someone who's been a cop in a shall-issue state for a long time, he or she could tell you about any number of stupid, inadvertent or bizarre mistakes by citizen gun carriers in public that never resulted in media attention, arrest or further public scrutiny.

 

[KINGMAX]

Was his first name Barney ???

I was just wondering ??? Is his name Banard Fife ???

 

[Tropical Z]

adding that no extra screening of passengers was necessary because officials determined the bullets belonged to the air marshal. "He picked the bullets up immediately."

The flight to Kansas City was delayed 45 minutes because of the incident, she said.

:banghead: Geez

 

[Biker]

Stuff happens. ~shrugs~

Biker

 

[Lupinus]

I vote for just allowing everyone to come onto the plane packing.

 

[Biker]

Second that.

Biker

 

[MICHAEL T]

Give them derringers 2 rounds all safe and secure. No need for additional ammo 2 is enough . After that they should relie on their H2H training or weapons of the terrorists they shot with the 2 rounds.. This program is just more feel good and waste of tax payer money. Of Course Bush and gang in DC are good at wasteing our money.