Police: Woman had gun hidden in hair weave at North Carolina detention center

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Friday, October 24, 2014
VIDEO: Gun found in jailed woman's hair weave
A North Carolina woman is in a real tangle, because of the gun sheriff's deputies say they found in her hair weave.
WPVI-WPVI

RALEIGH -- Raleigh police are conducting an internal investigation after a woman they arrested allegedly got a gun past them into the Wake County Detention Center - where it was found in her hair weave.

Tiffanie Bass, 32, was arrested during an early morning raid Wednesday at a nightclub on South Street in Raleigh.

The raid was a joint venture by the Raleigh Police Department and state Alcohol Law Enforcement.

Bass was arrested at Club Rumors and charged with resisting an officer, carrying a concealed weapon, and possession of a stolen firearm.

It's not clear if it was the stolen firearm that ended up in the detention center, but the Wake County Sheriff's Office - which runs the center - referred all calls to Raleigh police.

Thursday morning, RPD sent out a brief statement that says, in part: "RPD aspects related to the firearm located later at the jail are currently being reviewed internally to determine if departmental procedures were followed and to determine if any of those procedures should be changed in light of the occurrence."

After a court hearing Thursday, Bass's attorney said he understood the weapon - a small derringer - was hidden in her hair weave.

The Sheriff's Office said Bass was in the booking area of the Detention Center, but had not yet been processed through into the jail area when the gun was found.

Bond was set at $65,000 and the judge declined to lower it based on Bass's criminal history.