The suspect was a passenger inside the terminal and beached security after experiencing a “mental health crisis.”
One officer chased the man as he ran by an active aircraft with engines running, which posed a serious safety risk. The ordeal has raised questions about how exactly the man was able to access the tarmac.
The incident occurred around 6:00 am on Saturday between Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. Video captured by what is believed to be airport ground personnel shows the man running adjacent to an American Airlines Airbus A321neo. Once the man sees the officer chasing him from behind, he then attempts to run faster toward a JetBlue Airways Airbus A321.
The officer finally catches up to the man, appearing to use some device to tackle him to the ground. The suspect, lying stomach up, then quickly turned over and surrendered to the officer. Two other officers ran over while a police vehicle raced to the scene.
LAX Police Public Information Officer Karla Rodriguez confirmed the incident in a statement to Simple Flying on Sunday.
"At approximately 6 o’clock in the morning, a male passenger experiencing a mental health crisis, became irate, and exited Terminal 4 onto the airfield. Los Angeles Airport Police responded and during their attempt in taking the suspect into custody, a use of force occurred.”
The man’s motive remains unknown, but some sources suggest he may have missed his flight and decided to chase it down, according to FL360Aero. It is also unclear why the suspect did not have a shirt on.
“Suspect was arrested for battery against a police officer, trespassing on airport property, and he was taken to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation,” Rodriguez said.
Airport officials are likely investigating how the suspect seamlessly exited the terminal and entered the tarmac. While ground workers can easily enter terminal buildings, they have special proxies. Additionally, all doors leading to jetways are secured and only open when flights are boarding.
One person on X questioned how the man was not stopped inside the terminal.
“How was he not taken down as soon as he went through a door to get near the aircraft,” they explained. “Why was there only one person chasing him. They didn’t know his motives. An airport the size of lax shouldn’t have only one cop chasing an unauthorized person on the tarmac.”
According to FlightAware, the American A321neo that the man and officer passed on foot had just been pushed back from gate 53B for a flight to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). The aircraft’s beacon light atop its fuselage and below was on, signaling that one or both engines were running.
The situation would have undoubtedly been catastrophic if the man had been any closer to the plane. Little distance from a running aircraft engine can lead to ingestion, which has unfortunately occurred multiple times.
One officer chased the man as he ran by an active aircraft with engines running, which posed a serious safety risk. The ordeal has raised questions about how exactly the man was able to access the tarmac.
The incident occurred around 6:00 am on Saturday between Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. Video captured by what is believed to be airport ground personnel shows the man running adjacent to an American Airlines Airbus A321neo. Once the man sees the officer chasing him from behind, he then attempts to run faster toward a JetBlue Airways Airbus A321.
LAX Police Public Information Officer Karla Rodriguez confirmed the incident in a statement to Simple Flying on Sunday.
"At approximately 6 o’clock in the morning, a male passenger experiencing a mental health crisis, became irate, and exited Terminal 4 onto the airfield. Los Angeles Airport Police responded and during their attempt in taking the suspect into custody, a use of force occurred.”
“Suspect was arrested for battery against a police officer, trespassing on airport property, and he was taken to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation,” Rodriguez said.
Airport officials are likely investigating how the suspect seamlessly exited the terminal and entered the tarmac. While ground workers can easily enter terminal buildings, they have special proxies. Additionally, all doors leading to jetways are secured and only open when flights are boarding.
One person on X questioned how the man was not stopped inside the terminal.
“How was he not taken down as soon as he went through a door to get near the aircraft,” they explained. “Why was there only one person chasing him. They didn’t know his motives. An airport the size of lax shouldn’t have only one cop chasing an unauthorized person on the tarmac.”
According to FlightAware, the American A321neo that the man and officer passed on foot had just been pushed back from gate 53B for a flight to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). The aircraft’s beacon light atop its fuselage and below was on, signaling that one or both engines were running.
The situation would have undoubtedly been catastrophic if the man had been any closer to the plane. Little distance from a running aircraft engine can lead to ingestion, which has unfortunately occurred multiple times.
Story sourced from here
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