NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!. Embattled Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has been called out by a local resident over an incident at the local airport, where TSA agents allegedly stopped him at the security checkpoint with a loaded, undeclared firearm in his carry-on bag.. And the hits keep coming, with a recent independent investigation into bullying and retaliation allegations against the sheriff finding that the “preponderance of the evidence” shows he abused his office for political gain during a close race in 2024 against former PCSD Lt. Heather Lappin.. Amid that contentious race, a woman named Cory Stephens complained to the county board of supervisors at a public meeting on Nov. 12, 2024 that the sheriff did not face the same consequences a regular citizen would have.. “If a private citizen had encountered that at the airport, the consequences would have been greater,” Stephens, a longtime Tucson resident and president of the Conservative Coalition of America, told Fox News Digital over the phone Friday.. NANCY GUTHRIE UPDATE: RETIRED K9 OFFICER SAYS DECISION NOT TO USE CADAVER DOGS ‘DEFIES LOGIC’. Nanos’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident, which did not result in any charges.. Stephens said she found the incident alarming after hearing about it in local circles and was disappointed it received little attention in the media, so she brought it up during public comment at a board of supervisors hearing.. Nanos is facing heightened scrutiny amid the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie. While the complicated case remains unsolved, the sheriff’s critics have seized on other issues — including lawsuits against him from his own current and former deputies and an allegation that he lied about past disciplinary problems under oath.. “We as citizens want answers,” Stephens said. “The safety of our community is at stake.”. An incident report obtained by Fox News Digital from Nov. 6, 2024, shows a TSA X-ray technician saw the weapon in the sheriff’s bag and flagged an officer.. NANCY GRACE SLAMS SHERIFF’S HANDLING OF GUTHRIE CASE: ‘THE FISH STINKS AT THE HEAD’. “As a law enforcement officer, he should know the TSA rules, how to declare a weapon, secure it and follow the same rules as everyone else,” Stephens said.. Airport police found five rounds in the magazine and another in the chamber.. The sheriff missed his flight, stowed the firearm in his vehicle and flew out later.. SHERIFF SHRUGS OFF MISSTEPS IN NANCY GUTHRIE CASE, CALLS FOR CAPTOR TO ‘LET HER GO’ AS FAMILY PLEADS FOR HELP. James Gagliano, a retired FBI agent and Fox News contributor, said he found the whole incident surprising because as a law enforcement officer, the sheriff could’ve taken measures to fly with it legally.. “You declare yourself as a law enforcement officer ahead of time,” he said.. The protocol requires confirmation betw
