Assemblyman Tim Donnelly
Posted 1/5/12 – Sierra Madre’s State Assembly Representative Tim Donnelly (59th District) was detained and later released after being cited for attempting to bring a loaded weapon and ammunition onto a plane at Ontario Airport, according to a report by the LA Times. According to the Times “Authorities said screeners at the security checkpoint discovered a loaded .45-caliber Colt Mark IV pistol and an ammunition magazine with an additional five rounds in his carry-on luggage. He was detained, mistakenly cited for carrying an unloaded firearm (police said the citation would be corrected) and released. The offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail and a maximum fine of $1,000. The gun and magazine were seized by police.”
According to the Huffington Post, Donnelly said he was carrying the weapon due to death threats he has received, but had forgotten that he had a loaded gun in his briefcase. According to HuffPo, “He said he had it close by because of death threats he has received since he began spearheading a petition drive for a referendum to overturn a recent state law that allows illegal immigrant college students to apply for public financial aid. He told reporters at the state Capitol that he placed the gun in the briefcase to hide it from his wife. “I didn’t want her to see that I had my firearm out because we have received death threats with what I’ve been working on,” he said. “So I do tend to always be armed. The issue is strictly one that I completely forgot, coming back to work this morning, that it was in that briefcase.””
The Huffington Post article also states that Donnelly does not have a San Bernardino County permit to carry a concealed weapon. “Donnelly does not have a permit from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to carry a concealed weapon, department spokeswoman Jodi Miller said. That is the law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over the area in which Donnelly lives.”
The Post also reports that Donnelly had not reported any death threats to the Assembly, despite provisions that allow lawmakers additional security on an as-needed basis. ”
Lawmakers who report death threats can obtain additional security, but Donnelly had not reported any to Assembly officials, said Robin Swanson, a spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker John Perez, D-Los Angeles. “If there are perceived threats against a member, Assembly sergeants or California Highway Patrol will accompany them to public events on an as-needed basis. A significant number (of assembly members) have needed this protection and used it,” Swanson said.”