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Constable Charged After Leaving Loaded Gun In Pennsylvania Public Bathroom

A Lebanon County Constable has been charged after he left his gun in a public restroom, the District Attorney's office announced on Thursday, Aug. 29. 

A public bathroom

A public bathroom

Photo Credit: Unsplash/Buchen WANG @bclefou

Lebanon County Constable James Drahovsky left his gun in the public restroom at the District Justice Office located at 502 State Drive on Monday, Aug. 26, Chief County Detective Jonathan Hess detailed in the affidavit of probable cause. 

The 70-year-old left in the Glock 27 loaded with six 40 caliber bullets sometime between 1:37 and 1:44 p.m., Hess explained after watching the surveillance video footage. He left the office with an empty holster at 2 p.m. and drove away in the marked Constable vehicle he had arrived in. 

A staff member found the gun at 3:15 p.m. and called the police who secured it and turned it over to the appropriate office within minutes, according to the affidavit.

During the time the gun was left in the restroom, 10 people — including a child — entered the lobby by that restroom, Hess noted. 

The release from the DA's office highlights the danger this posed: 

"At any moment, anyone could have entered the restroom and stolen Drahovsky’s gun. At any moment, anyone could have exited the restroom with Drahovsky’s gun and fired upon the innocent citizens and staff in the Office."

DA Pier Hess Graf said the following about the incident, reading in part:

"Drahovsky is an elected official who recklessly and negligently created a potentially life altering and life ending hazard to countless people – including a child – when he left his loaded handgun ripe for the taking and use. We are extremely lucky an honest and upstanding citizen discovered the weapon and notified authorities. We are extremely lucky no one was hurt."

Drahovsky has been a constable for over twenty years, Chief Hess said.

A preliminary hearing has yet to be scheduled for the misdemeanor charge at the time of publishing, according to the court docket on the case. 

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