NASHVILLE, Tenn. -
A Metro police officer is facing some tough questions after a man he arrested nearly brought a loaded weapon into the Davidson County jail.
It happened Monday night, a short time after the officer arrested Eric Brooks on charges of public intoxication after he was observed staggering in and out of traffic on Richards Road off Antioch Pike.
Officers reported Brooks, 25, was unsteady on his feet, had blood shot eyes, slurred speech and smelled of alcohol, according to an affidavit.
Arrest documents indicate the officer, Brian Lamb, searched Brooks, finding a bag of marijuana, but somehow a loaded gun got through and into a holding cell that leads directly to the booking area of the jail.
Following his arrest, Officer Lamb brought Brooks in the Metro jail sally port and into the pedestrian sally port, which is a secured chamber with two locking doors.
The area is clearly marked, "Weapons prohibited."
According to the affidavit, it is in the secured entryway that a loaded .9 millimeter handgun falls from Brooks' waistband.
The gun is loaded with three bullets in the magazine and one round in the chamber.
"Mr. Brooks made movements, perhaps to his groin area. At that point this gun was discovered," Metro police spokesperson Don Aaron explained. "It is very concerning to the Metro Police Department anytime a weapon is found in this manner. It would appear the gun was still on this man as he was brought into custody from the arrest scene downtown."
Buford Tune is a security expert who spent 25 years on the police force. He says checking a prisoner for weapons is job one.
"Some officers do miss it. Some officers don't like searching the crotch of another man. It tells me that it was overlooked, someone screwed up [and] didn't do a complete, thorough search," he said Tuesday after learning of the incident.
"We arrest thousands of people each year, this happens rarely," Aaron added.
Officials planned to meet with Lamb, an evening officer in south precinct, to go over what happened.
No disciplinary action was immediately taken.
Brooks faces a number of infractions including possession of contraband in a penal institution, a Class C felony.
He was booked into the Metro jail on a $23,500 bond.
Eric Brooks, 25, was arrested for public intoxication.
Officer Brian Lamb failed to thoroughly search Brooks and a handgun was later found.
