Bill Russell arrested with loaded gun at airport

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/19/us/bill-russell-gun-airport/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

he says he was using it for defense...

I can't imagine why Russ would ever need protection with all the racist crazies in the world. I mean, I can't imagine he has ever received a death threat in his entire life.

Still, not advisable for the gun to be in carry-on luggage. I hope it was an oversight, perhaps inadvertently left in there after a car trip. I once did that with a knife and lost the knife at security.

On the lighter side, I wonder whether his shooting percentage with a .38 is better than his shooting percentage with a basketball.

Good luck, Russ. Hoping to see you at the unveiling of your statue.

Sam

Bill Russell arrested on gun charge

SEATAC, Wash. -- NBA legend Bill Russell was arrested this week at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after a loaded gun was found in his carry-on luggage.

The Transportation Security Administration says airport police arrested Russell on Wednesday night at a security screening after agents noticed a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson pistol in his carry-on bag.

TSA spokeswoman Lori Dankers says Russell was turned over to Port of Seattle police and cited on a state charge of having a weapon in a prohibited area. Russell had a permit for the gun, which was loaded with six rounds and confiscated, and he was released, according to Dankers.

Airline passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage. They must be stored properly and unloaded.

Russell, 79, has lived in the Seattle area for decades. He was an 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and coached the Seattle SuperSonics from 1973 to '77.

Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 1975. President Barack Obama in 2011 awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the U.S. government.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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A close friend borrowed his son's big suitcase for a trip to Mexico. Unbeknownst to him, there was a loaded gunclip in one of the side pockets, and the airport screener in Mexico caught it. He was arrested and thrown into a dank, crowded, steamy Mexican prison cell for the next 24 hours, charged with a crime that carries a 10 year sentence. After contacting a lawyer he was released on $5,000 cash bail and given a court date. He immediately let the country and is now a fugitive from Mexican justice.

Always gotta check your luggage...


KJ