Dennis Farina was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for carrying a firearm through airport security. The Law and Order star was described as "apologetic and cooperative" about the incident. He was released on a $25,000 bond.

Farina, 64, entered acting after serving as a Chicago police officer for twenty years. He is known for his detective roles in movies such as Get Shorty and Sidewalks of New York and on television most notably as Detective Joe Fontana on Law and Order.

The actor had just driven to Los Angeles from Arizona with his .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol in his briefcase. He was scheduled to take a United Airlines flight home to Chicago.

Obviously, this is an honest mistake that got out of hand. If the man is a former cop, then he knows how to handle a gun. I don't understand why he still feels the need to carry one, but I'm not a cop (or ex-cop). The irony of the situation, a former law officer who plays a law officer on a television series called Law and Order breaking the law, was likely very juicy to the press.