A TSA officer who was allegedly caught with a firearm at a busy Atlanta airport has been arrested
A TSA officer was arrested Tuesday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after police received a report of an officer with a firearm outside a security checkpoint. Atlanta police say the officer, who has been identified as 58-year-old Matthew Gilbert, has been charged with reckless conduct. It is unclear why Gilbert was allegedly carrying a firearm.
Gilbert was taken to the Clayton County Jail and has since been released, according to reports Fox 5 Atlanta. The local newspaper added that Gilbert is not alone when it comes to airport employees carrying firearms, noting that police say dozens have been caught.
The tag of a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent is seen as she helps passengers put their bags through a 3D scanner at Miami International Airport on May 21, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“We don’t want weapons in a secured area of the airport,” Atlanta Police Department Capt. Toya Young told Fox 5 Atlanta. “Before you get to the secured area, you are free to carry it, but once you enter the secured area, it is illegal to carry a firearm.”
TSA REVEALS TOP UNUSUAL FINDINGS AT AIRPORT SECURITY CHECKPOINTS IN 2024
Passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in Atlanta, Georgia on October 2, 2023. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A graphic on the TSA website shows officers seized 440 firearms at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, more than any other airport in the country. The agency claims to have intercepted more than 6,670 firearms in 2024.
“One firearm at a checkpoint is too many,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske it is stated in the press release. “Firearms pose a security risk to our employees and everyone else at the checkpoint. They are also expensive and slow down operations.”
EVERYDAY IN-FLIGHT PASSENGER BEHAVIORS THAT ARE RED FLAGS FOR TSA
People go through airport security before Thanksgiving at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 27, 2024. (REUTERS/Megan Varner)
For those who he has to travel with firearms, the TSA has clear instructions on how to do this legally. However, the TSA says there are “limited exceptions for law enforcement officers” when it comes to traveling with a firearm.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Asked for comment, a TSA spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “TSA is aware of the arrest of an officer at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) on Tuesday morning.”
“TSA has zero tolerance for misconduct on or off duty, and the officer involved has been removed from screening status, placed on leave pending further action, based on the resolution of the case. Passenger and employee safety is a top priority for TSA, and we we are working closely with our partners at the Atlanta Airport Police regarding this incident.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport but has not yet heard back.
