Walking Cane Seized At Milwaukee Airport Had Concealed Knife

MILWAUKEE, WI — A walking cane that concealed a knife is among the more dramatic things recently seized at Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport.

The cane was recently detected by officers at the airport's checkpoint, according to the Transportation Security Administration's Twitter account for the Great Lakes region. Photos showed the object, an apparently metal cane that may seem innocent at first, but further photos posted by the TSA showed the blade within.

"Pack smart and leave the prohibited items at home!" the TSA Great Lakes account wrote.

The incident comes after TSA screeners discovered a hand grenade on July 29, according to a Facebook post by the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office. The agency's bomb squad was called in and the grenade was found to be inert, posing no danger. But as the sheriff's office pointed out, real or not, the TSA still considered it a weapon.

The owner of the bag had said the item was purchased at a recent air show and he didn't realize he couldn't bring it, according to the sheriff's office. He was still issued a citation, authorites said.

The sheriff's office had a recommendation at the time: "Don't bring your weapons to the airport, even if they don't 'work.'"