MILWAUKEE — Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson was cited Tuesday after a firearm was found in his carry-on bag at the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.
According to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), the firearm was detected during the screening process to enter Concourse C around 11:40 a.m.
Deputy sheriffs responded and escorted Chief Thompson to the substation for questioning. MCSO says Chief Thompson explained he had forgotten the weapon was in his bag. He was released and permitted to proceed to his flight.
Chief Thompson will be issued a citation for presenting a weapon at a screening station. The ordinance violation includes a $767.50 fine.
MCSO says Chief Thompson was "afforded no 'special' treatment or consideration, nor did he request any."
Chief Thompson released a statement Tuesday evening following the incident. He said he was on his way to a conference to talk about the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy. The conference focuses on leading through crisis and building on resiliency.
He said he was working at the City of Waukesha Police Department before going to the airport and did not check his carry-on bag, which had his firearm in it.
"I am embarrassed in this situation and hold myself ultimately responsible," Chief Thompson's statement said in part. "I believe in accountability and will be held accountable for the situation. I also understand that I am human and make mistakes. I am sorry for the negative attention this brought not only to me but for the amazing community that I serve at the City of Waukesha Police Department."
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stopped a total of 21 handguns at the Milwaukee airport in 2022. There were 23 guns caught in 2021, 10 in 2020, 16 in 2019, and 11 guns in 2018.
So far this year, there has been a total of two guns detected at the Milwaukee airport.
"Milwaukee passengers brought guns to the airport at rates below the national average," TSA said in a news release Tuesday. "At MKE, TSA screened nearly 3 million departing passengers and crew in 2022. TSA officers at MKE discovered firearms in carry-on luggage at a rate of 7 firearms per million passengers screened. This calculates to a rate of one firearm discovery for every 142,631 travelers screened."
According to TSA, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport had the most guns caught at checkpoints in 2022 with a total of 448 firearms.
