ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Erbil’s police directorate on Monday announced the arrest of a lawyer who had brought a gun inside the courthouse and refused to hand it over to security personnel following a kerfuffle with another attorney the day before.

The incident occurred on Sunday when two lawyers representing opposing clients got into a heated argument, leading security forces at the facility to interfere, according to the statement from the directorate.

The security personnel had noticed that one of the lawyers was carrying a gun and demanded he hands it over, but the lawyer refused, pulling the weapon out before fleeing the courthouse.

The Erbil police directorate said the suspect was detained on Monday and that authorities have launched an investigation into the case.

The Kurdistan Bar Association on Sunday expressed concern over the lawyer’s actions, saying he had “illegally” taken advantage of his privileges as a member of the bar which allows him to enter the courthouse without being checked by security.

“No one is above the law and as the Kurdistan Bar Association, we will cooperate with the judiciary and the executive for legal action and we at the Kurdistan Bar Association will take professional action against this lawyer in the next meeting of the union,” the association stated.