Detroit's Mayor Weighs in On Chief Oliver's Gun Troubles

From The Detroit Free Press

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said Wednesday he supports his police chief who is embroiled in an incident involving a handgun, but is unsure what action he'll take if the top cop is charged with a crime.

"I think that the chief needs to have his integrity intact at the end of the day and he needs to make sure that he can lead this department," Kilpatrick said. "And a formal charge may cause some inability for him to do that, and that's what I'm afraid of."
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Kilpatrick said he doesn't think Oliver should be charged, but added, "I'm biased. I'm absolutely, 100 percent on the chief's side."

Hmm, Carrying an unregisterd gun (a crime in Michigan) into a secured airport area (a Federal violation for which he has been fined), without a concealed carry permit (a five year felony) and not as a certified Law Enforcement Officer and the Mayor is 100% on his side?

Everyone makes mistakes, but Chief Oliver should be held to the same standards and charges that any other civilian would face if they were caught carrying an unregisterd, concealed, firearm without a permit to carry in, of all places, an airport security checkpoint. Otherwise it will not be Chief Oliver's integrity, but the integrity of the whole justice system that will be in question in Wayne County.

Of course, if Chief Oliver gets a pass for these mistakes, one can only hope the Mayor will be 100% on the side of any Michigander and be as willing to preserve their integrity if they're caught carrying in a no carry zone. Otherwise, perhaps the first violation of Michigan's firearms laws should be a freebie for all?