Rockets center Dwight Howard had some explaining to do after he was caught with a handgun in his carry-on bag at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport Friday.
Howard was detained and questioned after TSA officials found the weapon stowed in his bag. The basketball star explained that the gun was indeed his, but law enforcement officials still let him go and even allowed him to pass it off to an associate.
Thankfully Howard wasn’t in New York or New Jersey, where he almost certainly would have been facing jail time over the incident.
Houston Police Department spokesperson Kese Smith said it’s not that uncommon to come across travellers who mistakenly bring along their firearms. There were 77 firearms discovered inside Houston’s main airports in the past year, but few charges were filed.
“This isn’t unusual,” said Smith.
Howard wasn’t available for comment on the incident, but it is known that he was ultimately permitted to board his flight.
(This article was a submission from freelance writer Brent Rogers)
Do some research. Texas’ law allows if you bring a weapon into security by mistake, forgot it was with you, you are allowed to immediately remove it. No hit no foul. If you are polite and don’t give cops trouble……
Hope they gave the gun to his chauffeur. The basketball player to driver relationship has been strained lately. At least the agents were decent and cut him a break. Lucky he wasn’t out on the east coast. New Jersy doesn’t like guns or basketball players that shoot people at home.