Cops: Naked Florida man prompts airport evacuation after claiming he planted a bomb
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Police used a Taser on a naked man who prompted an evacuation at a Florida airport after allegedly claiming he had planted a bomb, reports CBS affiliate WKMG. Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said that authorities received a call about a naked man running around the terminal at Daytona Beach International Airport early Friday morning.
More than 200 passengers were evacuated.
Chitwood said John Greenwood, 25, was naked on the baggage carousel and yelled, "The bomb is going to go off. I planted a bomb in the bathroom."
Deputies used a Taser to stun Greenwood, who was taken into custody. Chitwood said Greenwood was transported to a hospital and admitted to using Molly and other drugs the night before.
The station reports that a bomb squad used K-9 units to search the airport, but no bomb was found and the airport returned to normal operations.
According to Chitwood, Greenwood had entered the airport fully clothed and went into a ladies restroom, where he stripped and hid his clothes in a backpack that he stuffed behind some sheet rock.
Chitwood told the station that Greenwood was held twice in 2007 under the Baker Act, which allows for involuntary mental health examinations, and was once arrested on an allegation of assault on a Daytona Beach police officer. The sheriff said he did not believe Greenwood had served prison time on that charge.
Chitwood said Greenwood faces a slew of federal charges for his alleged actions in the airport.
Two flights were reportedly departing the airport at the time of the incident, and officials said that all affected passengers, who waited outside the airport for about 90 minutes, were re-screened before boarding their flights.
Airport spokesman Jay Cassenss thanked Chitwood for his agency's quick response.
"(This is) not something we go through every day," Cassenss said.
