‘Law and Order’ actor booked for carrying Loaded Gun

The former ‘Law and Order’ actor, Dennis Farina was booked at the Los Angeles International Airport on a weapons charge. As he was preparing to board a flight, a loaded gun was discovered by TSA screeners in the actor’s briefcase. Officials said the gun was not registered.

The 64 year old actor was arrested on Sunday morning on a misdemeanor charge of carrying the .22-caliber semi-automatic weapon onto a plane. The charge was upgraded to a felony once it was confirmed that the gun was not registered. His bail was also upgraded from $25,000 to $35,000.

"Farina was very apologetic and cooperative with officers," said airport Police Sgt. Jim Holcomb. "However, he had no apparent authority to carry a concealed weapon at the time of his arrest."

Farina tried to convince the airport police and FBI agents that he had forgotten about the gun lying in his case but it went vain. He was taken into custody at the airport and transported to the Van Nuys jail, where he spent most of his day, before being released on bail.

The actor had no permit for the gun, and it was not clear why he was carrying it. His representative could not be reached for comment.

Farina has starred in several feature films, including ‘Get Shorty’ and ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ and the current ‘What Happens in Vegas.’ For almost two decades, he served with the Chicago Police Department.

Passengers forgetting they have guns in their carry-on luggage—is quite a common problem for the LAX police, Holcomb said. Roughly 10 such incidents occur each month; most of which involve police officers traveling as civilians.

"People don't get it," Holcomb said. "When you go to an airport, the only people that can carry a gun are federal agents."