ATLANTA (AP) -- Cincinnati Bengals tackle
Andre Smith was free on bond Friday after his arrest on a charge of
carrying a loaded gun at Atlanta's airport.
Smith, 25, of Birmingham, Ala., was
arrested around 4:50 p.m. Thursday at a security checkpoint at
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. A .38-caliber handgun was
found in his carry-on bag, said Atlanta police Sgt. Greg Lyon.
Smith was charged with carrying a weapon
in an unauthorized location and was taken to the Clayton County Jail in
Jonesboro -- about 20 miles south of Atlanta. He posted $3,000 bond
Friday, according to court records.
Smith made his initial court appearance
Friday and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 4, according
to court documents.
Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said
franchise officials will not comment on ongoing legal matters, and a
call to Smith's attorney was not immediately returned. Smith was a
first-round draft pick in 2009 out of Alabama.
Jon Allen, a TSA spokesman, said Smith's loaded gun is the third firearm recovered at the airport in 2013.
"We continue to remind passengers of
the importance of looking through carry-on bags to ensure there are no
prohibited items inside," Allen said. He added that firearms may be
packed into checked baggage.
With 100 guns being confiscated from
passengers' bags in 2012, the world's busiest airport also ranked first
nationally in terms of the number of weapons seized from passengers.
