Ex-House speaker accused of having gun at airport

ATLANTA (AP) -- A former speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives is accused of having a gun at a security checkpoint in Atlanta's airport.

Authorities say former Rep. Terry Coleman of Eastman was apprehended by police after a Transportation Security Administration officer spotted what appeared to be a pistol inside his briefcase. Police found a .22-caliber handgun.

It wasn't immediately known when Coleman was arrested but he has already had his first court appearance.

Every year, dozens of passengers are apprehended when mistakenly carrying weapons through Atlanta's airport. TSA officials say about 100 handguns were confiscated at Atlanta's airport in 2012.

The 69-year-old Coleman served more than 30 years in the Georgia House.

(AccessNorthGa.com's Ken Stanford contributed to this story.)