The Police News
November 18, 2009

HOUSTON - A 16-year old boy being booked into the Harris County Juvenile Detection Center was searched by two guards, then walked through a metal detector with a .25 caliber semiautomatic pistol hidden in his clothing.

An investigation that followed revealed the metal detector was unplugged and may have been like that for weeks because it was not working properly.

The two guards will be suspended without pay for not finding the loaded pistol on the youth, according to Executive Director Harvey Hetzel.

The youth was being booked into the center for possession of marijuana.