Hi Tim,
I am sending you a copy of the documented details of an event that may of
interest to your readers. See the attached WORD document. This event
occurred during a trip I made to visit a friend in Vermont. The National
NRA organization is paying for the legal defense of this claim and have
several prominent attorneys working with my own attorney to get the case
resolved. I have enclosed copies of two recent e-mails regarding the
current status of the situation.
To say that I was shocked and horrified by the whole event is an
understatement. Local groups along with national groups have rallied to my
aid for which I am extremely grateful and very humbled. This event may
warrant mentioning in one of your issues as a warning to those traveling
in the Albany area. I am not sure if a political statement is being
pressed by the local prosecutor's office or exactly what the motivation
behind such behavior is, however others need to be aware of their actual
rights in such a situationn.
Respectfully,
Joyce A. Deutsch, RN, BSN
Certified Nurse Case Manager
Disability and Workers Compensation Claims
***************************************************
February 11, 2007
RE: Joyce Deutsch
On the afternoon of February 11th I was traveling by truck to the Albany
New York Airport to return home to Evansville Indiana where I have resided
for the past 43 years. My luggage consisted to three checked items. Two
suitcases contained by clothing and personal items and one case contained
my personal inoperable firearm a Kimber Ultra Raptor 45 caliber pistol.
During the trip to the airport the firearm was securely double locked
within a metal Winchester case with the empty magazine located in one
piece of clothing luggage. The ammunition was located in the other
clothing luggage still in the packaging it was purchased in.
The firearm was threaded through with a steel locking mechanism that ran
through the magazine holder up through the barrel and locked into a metal
lock that required a key and two hands to unlock. See the attached photo
for an example of the type of locking mechanism utilized. The firearm was
then secured with two combination locks on the outside of the case a
required by Delta Airlines when checking a firearm for baggage transport.
See photograph of the case with the locks in place.
Upon arrival at the airport my luggage was unloaded by myself and my
friend and carried into the ticketing counter. We both waited in line with
the luggage to check it at the counter before I went through airport
security to the boarding area. We were served by a new ticket agent who
was Chinese I believe. She was being assisted by another Northwestern
ticket agent.
I provided by credit card for verification of my flight. See the attached
flight itinerary. Also see the previous two itineraries for trips through
the Albany New York airport undertaken in late 2006. I followed the same
procedure through both of the previous trips that I always follow when
traveling with my firearm.
At the ticket counter I declared two pieces of luggage and a firearm. At
that point the ticket agent asked me to open the metal case and she
requested that a TSA officer come over to view and verify that the firearm
was inoperable.
On previous trips the TSA officer would visually inspect the firearm and
approve its safety status and I would sign an orange ticket verifying the
firearm was unloaded. The orange ticket would be placed inside the case. I
would then proceed to relock the combination locks on the outside of the
case and the case would be turned over to the baggage handlers for
transport. On previous trips I would then proceed with my carryon and
purse to the security check point and on to my boarding area.
On February 11th two Albany county deputy sheriffs came to the counter to
view the inoperable firearm. The officer questioned me at the ticket
counter. "Why do you have a gun?" "What is the purpose of
you having a gun?" "Is that your gun?" "Where did you
purchase the gun?" "Do you have a permit for a handgun?"
"Where are you traveling to?" "Have you traveled with a gun
before?" I answered each question as it was asked.
Why do you have a gun?- "for personal protection" What is the
purpose of you having a gun?- "I am widow, I live alone and travel
quite a bit as part of my profession and for teaching purposes. I find
myself staying in various cities alone in hotels and traveling to and from
various places of business during the evening hours alone." Is that
your gun? "Yes it is my firearm. I purchased it through our local
dealer in 2005." Where did you purchase the gun? "In Evansville
Indiana at the Strictly Shooting Gun Shop." Do you have a permit to
carry a gun? "Yes, I obtained a permit in the fall of 2005 at the
recommendation of my son who is also a police officer." At this point
in the conversation I produced my gun permit and showed it to the officer.
Where are you traveling to? "Evansville Indiana" Have you
traveled with a gun before? "Yes I have and have followed all
required airline regulations on each trip and have been approved by the
personnel at each airport that I have traveled through including Albany on
the previous two occasions that I had flights here."
At this point in the conversation the case was closed by the other officer
and taken away. The officer who had been asking me questions asked me to
accompany him to another area so he could get some additional information.
My friend took my carry on and followed me as we were led upstairs to a
private office area. At no time was I aware that I was being arrested.
My thoughts were that the officer was checking the registration of my
firearm to verify that it was not stolen and that I did indeed have a
permit. Upon arrival in the small office area my friend was asked to wait
in the hallway as I was led to another small office in the back of area. I
was asked to have a seat while the officer checked some information in
another room.
I sat for about 10 minutes in this office. During this time the officer
returned several times to ask me what time my flight was and said he was
attempting to get the needed information as soon as possible so as not to
cause me to miss my flight. Both officers were courteous to me during this
time.
The officer who had asked me questions at the ticket counter returned and
sat down after about 10 minutes. At that point he pulled a piece of paper
from the right hand drawer and began to ask me demographic questions, such
as what is your home address, what is your phone number, your date of
birth, your height, your age and your weight, the color of your eyes, etc.
I answered each question as it was asked. At this point the second officer
came into the room with my carryon and said that my friend has to go to
the bathroom and would be returning. The second officer said at that point
"Does she know you are arresting her?"
I was stunned! "Excuse me?" I said. Thinking it was perhaps said
in a joking way. The second officer repeated to me "you are being
arrested for possession of a weapon." Again I said "Excuse me,
did I hear you correctly?" "You are arresting me for declaring
an inoperable fire arm on my way back to the state I live in?" He
said that was correct.
I asked "how can you do that since I was not attempting to conceal
the firearm and openly declared it for baggage handling as I have done on
two previous occasions?" The first officer asked me if I had a permit
to carry a firearm in New York State. I answered "no sir, I do not
live here and only pass through this airport because I am going somewhere
else." "I have never applied for a permit since I do not live in
your state or carry the firearm during the trip to the airport or in the
airport."
The first officer said that on the two previous occasions I should have
been arrested for criminal possession of a weapon since I was not licensed
to carry a firearm in New York. I shared with the officer that I was not
"carrying a firearm in New York" I was attempting to check the
inoperable firearm as baggage to be transported home with me.
At that point I was fingerprinted three times and had my photo taken while
holding a number under my chin. The officer asked me if I had $100.00 on
my person to post bail. I said yes I did have cash with me. The officer
said that he was not allowed to complete paperwork for bail release and he
had contacted his lieutenant to come into the office and complete the
paperwork so I could be released to catch my flight.
The officer said to me at that point that the firearm would kept by the
county sheriff. I asked if the firearm would be returned or mailed to me.
The officer said the firearm would most likely not be returned to me but
would be destroyed by the state. He did offer that if the firearm were to
be returned to me that it could only be shipped to a licensed dealer. I
offered the name and address of my local gun shop, however he did not
write the information down.
I waited again for the lieutenant to arrive and complete the paperwork.
When the lieutenant arrived I again provided demographic information and
he asked if I understood I was to appear in court on March 7 in Colonie
New York. I shared with him that I would indeed return for the court date
and shared that I had the most respect for the dangerous work involved in
the law enforcement profession. I shared that my son ( I have only one
child) had been a police officer in Columbus Indiana and was a volunteer
deputy sheriff for Posey County Indiana.
At that point the lieutenant left the room and went to the back office and
I could hear him asking the first officer "Did she tell you her son
was a police officer?" The officer said "no she did not."
The lieutenant returned and continued to write up the bail sheet and court
date. I provided $100.00 in cash and was escorted back to the security
check in point.
At the check in point I took off my shoes and put my belt, cell phone,
purse and carryon luggage in the plastic buckets and sent them through the
scanner. I went through the human scanner and it started beeping. I was
asked to step to the side. A female TSA officer came over and scanned me
with a wand. She then asked for another female TSA officer to assist her
with a private scanning and I was taken to another empty room. I was
patted up and down including my head and groin area. I was asked to raise
my sweater and she ran the wand over me again. I believe at this point I
was approved to be safe and sent to my boarding area. However it was 10
minutes past the time my flight left.
My friend had been waiting for me at the ticket counter because he
believed that I would not be able to make my flight. I called him from the
boarding area and he began attempting to get another flight on a different
airline for me. The Northwestern ticket agent did not appear to be
interested in obtaining information on the next flight and asked my friend
to step out of the line.
My friend asked to speak with a manager and after several minutes wait a
manager arrived. The manager did not apologize for the inconvenience
however he did obtain an exchange ticket with Delta airlines for a reroute
through Atlanta airport. I had been charged 80$ extra for the shipping of
my firearm by Northwestern. My friend was assured the 80$ would be
refunded to my credit card since I was flying Delta now and Delta allows 3
carry on items. My other two luggage pieces had already flown out on the
missed flight. The 80$ was not refunded, however an additional 80$ was
placed on my credit card by Northwestern on February 12th. I have yet to
resolve this double charge.
I went back upstairs (it was approximately 15 minutes before the Delta
flight was scheduled to leave). Again I went through security repeating
the disrobing and putting everything through the scan machines. Again I
went through the human scanner and again I was taken to the holding area.
Again I was scanned with the wand and again I was taken to the same
private room by the same two women and patted down from head to toe and
asked to raise my sweater and scanned again. I was approved as safe and
reclaimed my purse and carryon and asked that TSA contact the Delta gate
to hold the plane a few minutes so I could make the flight.
Upon arrival at the Delta gate I spoke with the agent and she voiced shock
that someone could go through all of that after following all the rules
and procedures of the airline transport system. I boarded the Delta flight
and returned home without further incident and also without the only
firearm I have that can be carried discreetly on my person.
To say I am disturbed by the whole event would be a vast understatement.
Joyce A Deutsch
Evansville, Indiana
I don't know about you guys, but this story
gives me the shivers!