A former Clayton County prosecutor said he forgot to remove a small handgun from a "fanny pack" he was wearing when he went to check in for a flight Wednesday at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
John Turner Jr., 62, now a private-practice attorney in Jonesboro, was arrested when workers at a south terminal checkpoint discovered the small handgun. He spent Wednesday night in jail and bonded out on Thursday.
"I'm a criminal trial attorney. I go through metal detectors at the courthouse all the time. I'm fully aware that you can't get through them with contraband." Turner told the AJC.
He said he routinely carried the gun in the fanny pack -- a type that is used by undercover police officers -- when he walks his dogs in the evenings in his Atlanta neighborhood. He said he also routinely wears the fanny pack when he travels.
"I always take the gun out and it's never been a problem. This time I just totally forgot," Turner said. He added that he has a concealed weapons permit for the gun.
Turner said he and his wife were at the airport to catch a flight to Phoenix for a niece's graduation from military intelligence school.
He is represented by his law partner and former Clayton County District Attorney Jewel Scott. Scott said Turner has several options to dispose of the misdemeanor case, including pleading no contest or entering a pretrial diversion program.
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