Jerry Lewis detained over airport gun

Jerry Lewis was held by police at a Las Vegas airport last Friday after a gun was discovered in his luggage.

The comedian was found to have an unloaded 22-caliber handgun when he passed through the security screening area at McCarran International Airport.

Lewis was briefly detained and the gun was seized, after which he was cited for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.

The 82-year-old will have to attend a court hearing to retrieve the weapon, which was registered in his name, according to a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department spokesman.

The Nutty Professor star, best known for his comedy partnership with singer Dean Martin in the 1950s, was travelling to Michigan to perform a one-man show when the gun was found.

His manager Claudia Marghilano insisted that the weapon was a prop and could not be fired.