ROMULUS, Mich. – A Michigan Court of Appeals judge was found to have a loaded gun in his carry-on bag Feb. 21 at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Airport police were alerted to a situation at security around 8:30 a.m.
Police said a loaded Smith and Wesson .357 revolver was found in the carry-on bag of a 68-year-old man from West Bloomfield. He later was identified as Judge Henry William Saad.
Security found the firearm while the bag was going through the X-ray machine.
The judge was detained and police processed him at the scene before releasing him in time to catch his flight.
A spokesperson for the airport said most of the time when someone is caught with a gun in the airport they are taken to the police station to be processed, but it is up to the officer’s discretion. The spokesperson did not know if the judge was given consideration because of his position.
Saad charged with misdemeanor
Saad is set to be arraigned Tuesday on a misdemeanor charge. He is charged with possessing a firearm in a sterile area, which is a 90-day misdemeanor.
“Airport security breaches -- even unintentional ones -- are taken very seriously,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy. ”We have consulted with officials at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and are charging Judge Saad with a misdemeanor offense consistent with others that have allegedly committed a similar offense."