A once-trusted civilian security guard for the Metro Nashville Police Department has found himself on the wrong side of the law after allegedly lifting a firearm that a citizen had handed over to the police. Justin Hawkins, 42, who served MNPD for over seven years, is now facing a charge of theft of a firearm following his purported lapse in judgment.

According to a report by the Nashville Police Department, Hawkins called for an officer from Hermitage Precinct to come collect two guns that a citizen no longer wanted. Picking up just one of the firearms from MNPD Headquarters, an officer was handed the second gun by Hawkins only after she noticed its absence, pulling it out from his personal backpack, which left her suspicious.

Following this uncomfortable exchange, Hawkins eventually came clean about his intentions. He admitted to having slipped the handgun into his backpack with the full intention of taking it for himself, as per the Nashville Police Department's briefing. This confession has now landed him a charge for theft, following which he was released on a $1,500 bond.