Michigan lawmaker won't be charged for bringing gun to airport

Associated Press | Detroit Free Press

PELSTON, Mich. — A northern Michigan lawmaker will not face criminal charges for carrying a loaded handgun through pre-flight screening at an Emmet County airport.

The Petoskey News-Review and The Detroit News report Monday that Prosecutor James Linderman said in a release that he won't charge state Rep. Lee Chatfield because Michigan's law is not current with federal law in defining where inside airports guns are prohibited.

Chatfield is a Republican from Levering, south of Mackinaw City.

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Security staff at Pellston Regional Airport found the gun July 15 in a carry-on bag. The gun was confiscated. Chatfield was questioned and later released.

Linderman said the gun had not been registered — a civil infraction.

Chatfield has said he accidently left the gun in the bag and later registered it.

Chatfield faces Bruce Newville in Tuesday's Republican primary for the state House seat.