Woman Carries Pistol Into Augusta Courthouse; Says She was There to Get Carry Permit

Sierra Hinley was found with a pistol in her purse at the John H. Ruffin, Jr. Courthouse on James Brown Boulevard, authorities said.

Date: February 10, 2021

A young woman was packing a pistol in her purse when she walked into the Augusta courthouse on Monday, according to a sheriff’s report.

Gun in X-ray machine (Google images)

Sierra Hinley had an interesting excuse for carrying the Glock 43 semi-automatic pistol into the John H. Ruffin Jr. Courthouse.

“Hinley stated that she was coming to apply for her carry permit and forgot that the listed firearm was in her purse,” the report says.

The gun had a magazine with 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition. A security officer discovered the firearm when the woman’s purse went through the X-ray machine. The officer notified Cpl. Howard Hartung to take possession of the weapon, and Hinley was arrested.

Hinley, 23, of Caddenwoods Drive, Augusta, was arrested for carrying a deadly weapon in unauthorized location. She is free on bond.

Greg Rickabaugh is the Jail Report Contributor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at greg.rickabaugh@theaugustapress.com

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The Author

Greg Rickabaugh is an award-winning crime reporter in the Augusta-Aiken area with experience writing for The Augusta Chronicle and serving as publisher of The Jail Report. He also owns AugustaCrime.com. Rickabaugh is a 1994 graduate of the University of South Carolina and has appeared on several crime documentaries on the Investigation Discovery channel. He is married with two daughters.

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