"Guns Drawn At Oakland Airport in Fourth Breach this Year"

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Guns Drawn At Oakland Airport Breach
KTVU-TV Ch 2 (FOX), San Francisco (CA)


OAKLAND -- A man was booked into Santa Rita Jail Wednesday after he was
taken into custody at gunpoint on the tarmac at the Oakland International
Airport.

Airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes said the incident took place at about 4
p.m. on Tuesday. While passengers were being screened at terminal one on the
first floor, the suspect was in the public area of the second floor.

He went to the aviation security office and began asking questions, Barnes
said. When the suspect left he approached a security door that leads to the
tarmac and went out.

"The staff was keeping an eye on him," Barnes said. "He was told he was not
authorized to go through that door but he chose to go through anyway. We
immediately called the sheriff."

As he went through the door, the man also allegedly pulled a fire alarm.
Both alarms rang in the terminal, startling passengers.

The man -- who told authorities he was from Pennsylvania -- was quickly
confronted by armed deputies and taken into custody. He was not armed.

"Deputies found him in the tarmac area," Sgt. JD Nelson said. "They drew
their firearms. We don't know who he is or why he was there."

The breach was the fourth of the year at Oakland this year..

The unidentified man was taken into custody and faces a variety of charges.
He had a physical and psychological exam overnight.

Just two weeks ago, a man bypassed a security check point at the airport,
forcing officials to close the airport for two hours creating long backups.
The airport did not close during Tuesday's incident and officials said
security measures worked perfectly.

Related Story:

Oakland International Airport lacks security technology, experts say
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg41662.html

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