Presidential hopeful's son held

2007-04-26 22:16

Little Rock - The son of a US presidential candidate was arrested at an Arkansas airport on Thursday with a loaded pistol in his carry-on luggage - a week after his father said the Virginia Tech shooter could have been stopped if other students or teachers had been armed.

David Huckabee, 26, later pleaded guilty to the misdemeanour of possessing a weapon in a prohibited place.

Both he and his father, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, hold a concealed weapons permit.

Neither the former Arkansas governor nor David Huckabee returned telephone messages seeking comment.

Huckabee had a .40-calibre Glock pistol in his black carry-on bag, Little Rock police officer Arthur Nugent said.

Eight live rounds were in the gun - none in the chamber - and a nine-round clip was in the bag.

It is not unusual for people to forget they have a gun in their carryon luggage, Little Rock police's Terry Hastings said.

A US transportation security administration spokesperson said Huckabee - whom she declined to identify by name - was co-operative and that other passengers had not been endangered by the incident.

Huckabee got a one-year suspended jail sentence and 10 days of community service.

He will be on probation for a year.

Fines and costs totalled $855.

TSA can seek separate civil penalties, the TSA spokesperson said.

- AP