WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- For those who know Dr. John Maxwell, his mug shot is both a shock and a contradiction to his character.
“He has been a tremendous national leader, adding value throughout the world whether it’s Africa or right here in Palm Beach County,” said Bill Hobbs from Urban Youth Impact.
The author and speaker is famous for his advice on leadership. He's a teaching pastor at Christ Fellowship Church... The man with a long resume of being a stand up guy was arrested, fingerprinted and photographed for taking a concealed handgun through security at Palm Beach International Airport.
Maxwell blogged about the incident.
“What I did was wrong, and it was my fault. I certainly didn’t intend to break the law, but I will face up to the consequences,” Maxwell wrote.
Maxwell explained that is was a mistake. The gun had been given to him as a gift after a speaking engagement out of state, to which he traveled on a private plane. He said he forgot to take the gun out of his bag before traveling through PBIA days later.
“If you’re not paying attention and you do something stupid, it’s going to hurt you. In the end, I just hope my mistake isn’t going to hurt anybody but me,” wrote Maxwell.
His supporters say Maxwell’s reaction and admittance to his error is what makes him the “real deal.”
“That’s rare in today’s culture with leadership. People want to side step it. They want to blame someone else and John faced the issue head on, took responsibility and he learned from it,” said Hobbs.
Maxwell bonded out of jail for three thousand dollars. He does not have a court date scheduled. He continues to travel and speak on leadership throughout the country.
