KPD airport gun incident details emerge

LIHU‘E — A Kaua‘i Police Department deputy chief said a “brain fart” led to him to leave a loaded handgun in his carry-on backpack while going through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Lihu‘e Airport security, according to new documents obtained by The Garden Island.

A TSA report provided through a Freedom of Information Act request details the April 8 incident, which began when Stan Olsen’s bag was flagged at the counter checkpoint about 6:40 a.m. as he was about to board a flight to Las Vegas.

A TSA agent notified the lead transportation security officer of an item that appeared to resemble a handgun in Olsen’s backpack.

“I asked (the passenger) if he had a firearm in his bag and he replied ‘No,’” the LTSO wrote in his report.

The LTSO then unzipped the backpack, revealing Olsen’s KPD-issued firearm, a 9mm semi-automatic Glock handgun.

“I stated to him, ‘There is a gun in here,’” the LTSO wrote.

“He replied that he forgot it was in there and that he should have known better.”

Law enforcement officers from Allied Universal responded and took custody of the firearm, which was loaded with nine bullets. There was no round in the chamber.

After discussion with the Federal Security Director Janel Chang, Allied Universal officers declined to cite Olsen and let him off with a verbal warning, informing him that the incident was “unacceptable,” and that any future incident would result in a stiffer penalty. He was allowed to continue on his flight and was informed that the weapon would be given back upon his return.

The report says that Olsen was apologetic and compliant with TSA and law enforcement. He reported that he uses the backpack for work and forgot he was storing his gun in a small outer pocket — referring to the incident as a “brain fart” and saying that he was “being a dumbass” for not checking his bag.

The TSA clarified Tuesday that the decision by Allied Universal not to issue a citation is separate from TSA’s own procedure and they may still issue a fine.

The recommended TSA civil penalty for a loaded firearm found at a security checkpoint begins at $3,000, and can be more than $10,000.

The incident has become the subject of two complaints filed with the Kaua‘i Police Commission, which were discussed in the executive session of their May 27 meeting. The first, apparently addressed at Olsen, alleges a KPD officer attempted to pass a concealed weapon through a security checkpoint, and the second alleges that another officer “provided special and preferential treatment” in this case.

It is unclear who the second complaint refers to because the full text of the two complaints was not made public by the county Office of Boards and Commissions due to “significant privacy interests” and the fact that the release could “frustrate its ability to effectively investigate and address employee misconduct.”

Members of the State of Hawai‘i Organization of Police Officers have pushed KPD Chief Todd Raybuck to issue stronger disciplinary action against the deputy chief.

“The chief’s inaction created a clear double standard, one standard for officers who work in the field and another for those that don’t,” said SHOPO Kaua‘i Chapter Chair Kennison Nagahisa in a statement to The Garden Island.

“We hope the Kaua‘i Police Commission upholds its oversight responsibility and investigates these complaints thoroughly and take appropriate action. Doing so would assist in restoring our recent lost confidence in the Kaua‘i Police Commission to adequately oversee the chief of police. All that this complaint seeks is equal accountability from the top to the bottom of KPD.”

Olsen is a recent addition to the KPD, appointed to his position by Raybuck in August 2021 after 35 years of law enforcement experience in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Following his retirement from LVMPD in 2007, Olsen was appointed to serve as a Nevada state senator for 2010.

KPD announced shortly after the incident that they would launch an internal investigation to determine if department policies were violated. They did not provide an update on the status of this investigation Wednesday.

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Guthrie Scrimgeour, reporter, can be reached at 647-0329 or gscrimgeour@thegardenisland.com.

This story has been edited to clarify the circumstances around Allied Univeral’s decision not to cite Olsen.