Thread: Assemblyman Tim Donnelly tries to carry loaded handgun on airplane

January 4, 2012

Assemblyman Tim Donnelly tries to carry loaded handgun on airplane

Assemblyman Tim Donnelly was cited today for having a loaded .45-caliber handgun in his carry-on bag at the Ontario airport.

The Twin Peaks Republican was stopped at a security checkpoint about 6:45 a.m. and eventually cited and released by airport police, said Nico Melendez, spokesman for the federal Transportation Security Administration.

Donnelly's spokeswoman, Cassandra Joiner, said the citation is for possession of an unloaded handgun. But Melendez said the .45-caliber Colt Mark IV had four rounds in its magazine and a spare magazine with five additional rounds.

"When he was packing to leave, he had forgotten that it was in there," Joiner said. "He didn't realize it when he put it through the metal detector."

Donnelly, a supporter of the constitutional right to bear arms, was scheduled to board Southwest Airlines Flight 661 from Ontario to Sacramento, Melendez said. Lawmakers are returning to the Capitol today for the first session of 2012.

Airline passengers legally can transport firearms via airline flights, but they must be unloaded and contained in a proper carrying case that is checked into the baggage department, not as a carry-on, Melendez said.

Donnelly would not be alone in forgetting that his carry-on bag contained a firearm -- 1,200 such incidents occurred nationwide last year, Melendez said.

Robin Swanson, spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker John A. Perez, urged against rushing to judgment in Donnelly's case.

"He deserves due process just like anyone else," Swanson said. "We support public safety. (Officials) will get to the bottom of it."

PHOTO CREDIT: Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks, left, discusses his proposed measure that targets illegal immigrants during a rally at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, April 4, 2011. Associated Press/Rich Pedroncelli

* Updated at 12:04 p.m. to include information from Donnelly's spokeswoman, Cassandra Joiner, and from Robin Swanson, spokeswoman to the Assembly leader.

http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalert...was-cited.html

January 6, 2012

Tim Donnelly apparently has no permit to carry loaded gun

Days after he was issued a misdemeanor citation for carrying a loaded firearm into the Ontario airport, Assemblyman Tim Donnelly indicated today that he does not have a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

The question arose Wednesday after the federal Transportation Security Administration said that Donelly's briefcase contained a .45-caliber handgun with four rounds in its magazine, and a spare magazine containing five rounds.

The 45-year-old Twin Peaks Republican said that he had armed himself because of recent death threats, but mistakenly placed the gun in his briefcase last weekend and forgot to retrieve it before going to the Ontario airport for a flight to Sacramento.

Californians with a concealed weapons permit cannot carry a loaded gun onto an airplane. But whether Donnelly had the right to carry a loaded weapon anywhere is a separate question that was not definitely answered Wednesday.

Concealed weapons permits generally have to be obtained in the county or city in which a person lives. Donnelly lives in an unincorporated area in San Bernardino County. Sheriff's officials there said Wednesday that they had not issued him a permit.

Nico Melendez, spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, said Wednesday that it was his understanding that Donnelly did not possess a concealed weapons permit.

Asked directly today if he had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, Donnelly said only that he felt enough information about the concealed weapons permit issue had been released or published already. Asked if that meant that he did not have such a permit, Donnelly deflected the question.

"It's already been spoken to," Donnelly said. "It's certainly not something that I feel that I need to address. I really don't feel that there's anything more that I want to add to that story. I tried to be very forthcoming and put all the information out there ... so, I'm just going to leave it at that."


Donnelly spends about half his time during the legislative year in the capital, but both Sacramento's police and sheriff's departments said Thursday that they have not issued him a concealed weapons permit. Assembly officials said they have not issued him a permit to carry a gun in the Capitol.

Donnelly was cited for possession of a loaded firearm, punishable by a sentence of up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. The Transportation Security Administration also could levy a fine of up to $10,000.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney's currently is reviewing Donnelly's case for a final decision on charges. Spokesman Christopher Lee has declined comment pending completion of the review.

http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalert...oaded-gun.html