Atlanta, GA
Atlanta airport security breach: 911 call, video of arrest released
ATLANTA – After a suspect took a wild trip round a supposedly secured space of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport, many questions concerning security and safety have been raised.
“The person was in a position to scale on the fences. He was seen by excessive staff of Delta and Southwest. Per our protocol, they’re to observe the person,” mentioned Michael Smith, deputy airport supervisor.
Authorities say after hopping the razor wire fence, Terence Stewart hopped right into a Delta car and drove it across the airport, boarded a Southwest aircraft, got here head to head with an worker within the cockpit of that aircraft, deplaned after which discovered one other car to drive. He was in the end stopped by Atlanta police and charged with taking these two Delta vehicles on Jan. 6.
Police say the suspect scaled a fence with razor wire to breach safety at Hartsfield-Jackson. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
MAN BREACHED FENCE, STOLE CAR, AND BOARDED PLANE AT ATLANTA AIRPORT, POLICE SAY
FOX 5 obtained the audio of the 911 name made through the incident.
“He went contained in the plane,” a caller instructed the dispatcher.
“You mentioned he isn’t an worker?” the dispatcher requested.
“No,” the caller mentioned. “He doesn’t have a badge.
The caller instructed the dispatcher that the suspect was headed again towards the taxiway, the place planes go earlier than and after they take off.
Man arrested after police say he jumped the fence in a hyper-secured space of Hartsfield-Jackson, stole two airport autos and boarded a aircraft. (Provided)
Keith Martin, a former Faculty Park solicitor instructed FOX 5 that Stewart made the worst mistake of all when he crossed what workers name the “zipper line”. It’s a border of stable and dashed yellow traces that marks the place the motion and nonmovement areas of the runway are. Airport sources instructed FOX 5 that inside that border, not even police can go with out particular authorization from the tower.
“And this man had the run of the opposite aspect of the zipper line,” mentioned Martin.
This can be a “zipper line,” the border officers instructed FOX 5 nobody can transcend with out direct orders from the tower. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
“That zipper line is completely sacrosanct. Don’t cross the zipper line except you name the tower,” Martin mentioned firmly. “This incident might have gotten actually out of hand significantly, in a short time.”
In 2018, a Hartsfield-Jackson government gave media a tour and mentioned potential safety enhancements and limitations. It is clear a few of these limitations stay right this moment.
What number of Atlanta airport cancellations, delays are there following FAA system outage?
When requested if the fence line that Stewart climbed over was monitored by digicam, a spokesperson for the airport mentioned solely “a few of it” was.
Airport officers are nonetheless working to grasp how Stewart was in a position to go over the fence.