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national
State assemblymember stopped from bringing gun to Capitol
Kern excused for gun mistake
Published Thursday, 31-Jul-2008 in issue 1075
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – State Rep. Sally Kern was excused for forgetfulness in twice bringing a gun to the Capitol, but a longtime state worker went to jail, paid a fine and had to shell out hundreds of dollars for a similar mistake.
Kern, who gained national notoriety for a rant against gays earlier this year, was stopped from entering the Capitol on July 23 when she was found to have a loaded handgun in her purse. She was allowed to take it back to her car.
It was the second time in two months she brought a gun to the building. In June, she said she got through security and to her third-floor office before she realized she had her gun with her. She told officers of the breach and was escorted to her car to put away the weapon.
Jeff Davis, 56, spent nine hours in jail after he was arrested in 2004 with a handgun in his briefcase. Davis said he, like Kern, had a concealed carry permit.
He said he had a second job as a financial consultant and felt the need to carry a gun in some parts of Oklahoma City. He said he was running late for his regular job with the Office of State Finance and forgot he had the weapon with him.
Besides being arrested and sent to jail for nine hours, Davis said it was an error that “cost me $1,600 bucks. I got a fine of $50 and had to pay court costs and attorney fees.”
He said it is his understanding that if he had not been arrested, he would have been able to pay a fine and avoid appearing before a judge, where he acknowledged bringing the gun to the Capitol.
He said he had no wish that Kern “go to jail or anything,” but “I don’t understand how she got past them (troopers) the first time.”
Davis also said he was not mad at troopers over his incident. “The troopers were just doing their job. Evidently that was the first time it had ever happened and they did not know what to do or how to do it.
“The Highway Patrol troopers were very nice, most of them knew me, but I sure wish they had said just take it back to your vehicle,” Davis said.
“It was very humiliating. No one in my family had ever been arrested. My grandpa took pride in that and I was shamed.”
Kern told KOCO-TV she believes she got through security in June because an attendant was helping her pick up clothes she dropped while her purse was going through an X-ray machine.
Chris West, OHP spokesman, repeated his previous assertion that Kern was not given preferential treatment. West said it was determined that she made an honest mistake and there was “no malicious intent.”
West said he had determined that weapons are detected about two times a year and there had been two arrests, counting Davis. He said he did not have any information on the other arrest.
“Unfortunately for him, he (Davis) was the first one, but I doubt there was a plan that we were going to take the first person to jail,” West said.
West would not go into details of the June incident when Kern got past security with her gun.
“We’re willing to admit that a breach of security did occur and she did self-report the incident,” he said. “But as far as what occurred, we feel like it is better for future security not to discuss the details.”
Guns and knives are prohibited in the Capitol and those who enter must pass through an airport-style security checkpoint, including a metal detector. Signs warn visitors that firearms and knives are prohibited.
Kern, R-Oklahoma City, said she forgot to take a .380 caliber semiautomatic handgun out of her purse after she stopped to talk to another lawmaker.
“It was an honest mistake from being out of my routine, you know,” she said.
The lawmaker once complained of death threats after audio from a rant against gays was captured on YouTube. In her talk to a Republican group, she said the “homosexual agenda is destroying this nation” and is a bigger threat than terrorism.
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