Man reportedly kept loaded gun for nearly a day in Anderson jail after not being searched

A man detained earlier this week on charges of trespassing near a condemned building and later resisting arrest was kept in an Anderson jail cell for nearly a full day with a loaded gun because he was not properly searched, according to incident reports and Anderson Police Chief Jim Stewart.

“This was an oversight on our part,” Stewart said.

The man was placed in a holding cell with a loaded Hi-Point 9mm handgun,

After nearly 24 hours inside the jail, from 10 p.m. Sunday to 8 p.m. Monday, an officer noticed the man was in street clothes, according to an Anderson Police incident report.

An officer did a search and found the gun.

The gun had a bullet in the chamber, and was later found to not be a stolen weapon, according to an incident report.

Although the man should have been searched before entering a holding cell, because the gun was found afterward, he could face additional weapons offenses, according to the chief’s san incident report.

"This could have a dangerous situation for all involved," Stewart said. "The department is reviewing procedure and policy along with increased training to ensure this situation does not occur in the future.”

The incident will be handled as a disciplinary issue, handled by the patrol and detention captains, the chief said.

A.J. Jackson is a general assignment reporter for the Independent Mail. Email him at ajackson@gannett.com with story ideas and leads.

This article originally appeared on Anderson Independent Mail: Anderson police: Loaded gun in cell for hours after man not searched