Or Was It Because He Thought Cops Didn’t Have to Obey the Law?

Ex Detroit police Chief Jerry Oliver recently attempted to take a flight from Detroit to Philadelphia – with a pistol in his checked luggage. Problem was, he didn’t follow the required procedures to do so. According to this story:

You can check a weapon, but paperwork needs to be filled out and the ammunition separated from the pistol. Oliver claimed to be unaware of the procedures for checking a gun in luggage he says, “it was just an oversight.”

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Oliver says he takes full responsibility for the incident and says he “always” checks his gun when he boards. But, he claimed to be unaware of the procedures for checking a gun in luggage.

And since he’s a member of the special, priviledged class…

It makes me wonder, however, how many times Chief Oliver had done this in the past, and gotten away with it?

Back on October 20 when the story broke, Chief Oliver faced:

Suspension is unlikely at this point. But, according to TSA officials in Detroit, he could be fined up to a $1,000.

Not to be. (I cannot help but wonder what the penalty for a Joe Average would have been, though?) Instead, Chief Oliver was fined and has resigned his position as Chief. Further, he has been charged with possession of an unregistered handgun – a major oopsie for a police officer. According to this report:

Wayne County Prosecutor Michael Duggan at a Monday morning news conference announced his decision to charge Oliver with the 90-day misdemeanor.

Oliver said he didn’t think he had to register the personal weapon in Michigan, where he was in the process of becoming a licensed, sworn police officer. He has been a sworn officer in other departments and said he has had the gun for years.

He’s a police chief and doesn’t know the gun laws.

But we citizens are supposed to.

UPDATE: According to this story:

Former Detroit Police Chief Jerry Oliver entered a no contest plea to a misdemeanor charge of possessing an unlicensed handgun on Thursday in a Romulus courtroom.

According to an agreement worked out with prosecutors, the charge could be dismissed in 90 days if Oliver stays out of trouble.

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Doug Baker, the Wayne County chief for special prosecutions, said Oliver’s sentence was “typical” for such cases.

Oliver paid a $250 fine before leaving.

Typical, eh? Perhaps for law-enforcement officers.