Traveler Bolts Secondary TSA Luggage Check, Triggers Lockdown At LaGuardia
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A traveler triggered a lockdown at LaGuardia Airport Wednesday when he took off after Transportation Security Administration agents wanted to get a second look at his luggage.
Video posted to social media shows the crowd of people standing around as Terminal C went into lockdown.
Law enforcement sources tell CBS2 the traveler in question was behind a temporary terminal standstill, apparently selected for a secondary TSA screening to have his bag searched by hand.
Instead, he grabbed his bag and took off.
"I couldn't know what was in that person's mind but it's just inconvenient for everyone involved," Connecticut resident Ron Rudolph said.
"Well I think they have enough security that somebody should have caught him," traveler Pat Arra said.
Arra arrived from Kansas City earlier than scheduled, but says something held her plane on the tarmac for at least 30 minutes around the time of the lockdown.
Authorities released very few details regarding what happened, but the airport tweeted shortly after the incident that normal operations had resumed "after a minor incident at a checkpoint."
The TSA did not respond to CBS2's request for comment.