TSA: Man couldn't take gun on plane, so he hid it in a planter
PORTLAND, Ore. – A retired Delta Airlines pilot is accused of hiding a gun at Portland International Airport in a planter.
Police say that 69-year-old Soren Muir Johnson, who is from southern Oregon near the town of Eagle Point, brought a .22-caliber pistol to the airport and couldn't get it through security. He then went back out to the airport lobby where he hid the gun in a planter box.
According to the Port of Portland, it happened on June 24.
Johnson asked TSA screeners at the security checkpoint what he should do with his firearm. They told him to go back to the ticket counter, and that's when TSA employees watched Johnson hide the gun in the planter.
Johnson told police he hid the gun so he could pick it up when he returned from his travels.
Johnson was arrested and charged with reckless endangering.
He is a retired airline pilot, who should have known better. It is good they caught on to what he was doing. How many young kids might have wandered by while curious, and picked it up, and perhaps fired it? Not too bright on his part at all.
It's funny how much the media twists things! This guy tried taking it through security and they told him that he couldn't... so he CHECKED the gun at the ticket counter, and signed a waiver saying it was NOT loaded and it was loaded... so they arrested him after he cleared security!! stupid Media get it right.
this guy's probably forgot to put his pants on before. how dumb of him
When God handed out the brains, this guy thought God said trains and he missed his.
So....a retired Delta pilot did not know he was not allowed to take a gun through security? What?
Just check it and you are fine. Can't imagine hiding a gun and hoping it would be there when I got back.
TSA once again doing their job and you liberal NW people make rude and stupid comments. Â The man no matter what his profession, should be arrested and put in jail, and being a retired pilot himself he should get double time and fines.
Reckless endangering?!? How ridiculous - it's not like he got it through security. The only danger was that someone would steal his gun before he retrieved it.
 @WTFWTF your comment is so stupid I know it's fake just to get comments! I applaud your effort at total ridiculousness!
@randola No I'm serious, just not a hysterical paranoid. Dude was in a hurry and forgot he was packing. No way the reckless endangerment sticks, he'll plead not guilty and they'll drop it down to some misdemeanor. He'll pay a fine and get a slap on the wrist. Anyways, we're only hearing about this cause he got busted - I guarantee it happens more often that you'd think.
@WTFWTF The danger is some kid walks by, finds it, and shoots himself or someone else.
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Since you can't grasp that basic fact, it brings your intelligence into question as well.
Panic much? The pvssification of America continues..
@WTFWTF It's not panic - it is reason and common sense. The plants at the airport are neither a safe nor a wise place for people to store their firearms. Mr. Johnson should have known he had a firearm on his person before he ever left for the airport. I can only assume that if he brought it into the airport he must have a Concealed Handgun License. Even if his common sense didn't kick in, his training should have. His decision to hide the firearm rather than check it or return it to a safe place was stupid. Your defense of him is irrational.
wow, flying an airliner must be a lot easier than i thought!Â
Ya just cain't fix stoopid.....
This guy was an airline pilot?!!