May 11, 2008 12:35 pm US/Pacific
Dennis Farina Arrested At LAX For Concealed Gun
Cop, Turned Actor, Says He Is 'Embarrassed' Over His Own 'Stupidity'
LOS ANGELES
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Dennis Farina reportedly told police that he had forgotten that a loaded handgun was in his luggage.
AP
Tough-guy actor Dennis Farina was free on bail Sunday night after being arrested at Los Angeles International Airport when a loaded handgun was found in his briefcase as he attempted to board an airplane.
Farina, 64, was described as "very apologetic and cooperative" by Los Angeles World Airport Police after he was handcuffed at the United Airlines terminal, where he had been booked on a flight to his home town of Chicago.
Farina's latest movie, "What Happens In Vegas," opened this week.
Farina told police he drove to Los Angeles from Arizona to catch a flight and had forgotten he had the gun in the briefcase. The actor said he was a Chicago police officer for 19 years, but admitted he did not have a permit to carry a concealed weapon at the time of his arrest, police said.
"He came into the airport at a little past 8 o'clock this morning at Terminal 7 for a scheduled flight to Chicago, Illinois, and put his articles on the conveyer belt, and when it went through the conveyer belt, the TSA discovered there was a weapon inside," said Sgt. Jim Holcomb of the Airport Police.
He was originally arrested on a misdemeanor and bail was set at $25,000.
But the booking charge was upgraded to a felony after police determined the .22 caliber semiautomatic pistol was not registered, and bail was increased to $35,000.
"That decision came after the gun was found to be unregistered to him -- not registered to anyone," Holcomb said. In all likelihood there could be a
perfectly legitimate reason for that, but nevertheless that's why the charge
was upped."
Farina issued a statement saying he was embarrassed by the arrest, which he brought on himself.
"I apologize to anyone and everyone that I have caused any embarrassment or inconvenience to," he said. "It is my own stupidity to find myself in this embarrassing situation. I'll be spending the next few days kicking my own a--. No one is more embarrassed than myself."
Farina posted bail and was released from the Van Nuys police station about 6 p.m. and slipped out the back to avoid the media, it was reported.
Farina played detective Joe Fontana in more than 40 episodes of NBC's "Law And Order," and had regular roles in the TV series "Miami Vice" "In- Laws" and "Crime Story."
He was also in "Saving Private Ryan" among other movies.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
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