Martin Lawrence detained at airport for carrying gun

Jet, August 19, 1996

Actor/comedian Martin Lawrence recently was detained at the Burbank, CA, airport after police found a loaded handgun in a suitcase he was taking on a trip.

Security officers at the suburban Los Angeles airport spotted an outline of a gun as the comedian's suitcase passed through an X-ray machine, according to Sgt. Tom Davenport. "He said he thought it was OK to carry it on the plane if he was going out of state," Davenport said.

Lawrence's publicist, Kim Jones, released a statement that read: "Comedian Martin Lawrence and his party were detained briefly but not arrested at the Burbank airport when a weapon was found in the luggage of the traveling party. The comedian was unaware the weapon was in the luggage. When asked to put the luggage through customary security, the party willingly did so. They were as surprised as the airport personnel when the gun was discovered. The party was detained for a short period and released from the airport with no further incident."

Lawrence, who did not have a permit to carry the gun, was issued a misdemeanor citation and promised to appear in court within two weeks. He could face up to a year in prison on the misdemeanor charge of carrying a loaded firearm in public.

Davenport said the Federal Aviation Administration hasn't decided whether or not to pursue federal charges.

This incident marked the second time this year that Lawrence has had a brush with the law regarding a firearm. Earlier this year, the actor was detained for yelling and screaming in the middle of a busy Los Angeles street while carrying a gun (JET, May 27).