On Wednesday, a person tossed water on a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent and ran unchecked by officials past the security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport. Subsequently, the woman was detained by Allegheny County Police.
Making a run for it
According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review online publication, TribLive.com, the person in involved during this incident is Brandi L. Bailey. At approximately 17:30 on the day, the 32-year old threw water on a TSA agent after the worker asked her to present a ticket and her identification at the checkpoint.
Subsequently, a police officer caught up with the Penn Hills resident and sat her on a bench nearby. However, Bailey allegedly soon began fighting with the police and even tried to make a getaway by running for the airport train. Nonetheless, her efforts went in vain as the police once again quickly quashed the situation.
Danger avoided
Inspector Kenneth Ruckel, the police division commander at the airport, shared that no officers were injured. Nonetheless, he said that it is unknown what the person’s intentions were, and police believe that she did not have a ticket.
CBS Pittsburgh reports that Bailey was transported to Allegheny County Jail to await arraignment. Altogether, she faces charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and criminal trespassing.
Always on the ball
Officials at Pittsburgh are no strangers to dealing with unexpected incidents at TSA checkpoints this year. In May, another Penn Hills woman was arrested TSA officers stopped her with a handgun.
The worker saw an unloaded .22 revolver in a passenger named Kierra Allen’s carry-on bag. County police then charged her with carrying a firearm without a license. According to TSA, she was the seventh person found with a gun at the airport between the beginning of 2020 and the middle of May. Moreover, in July, TSA found 15.3 guns for every one million passengers.Â
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Altogether, these incidents are reminders of the sensitive nature of the jobs that TSA agents and airport security take on. Officials and local police always need to be on their guard when on duty at hubs across the globe.
Simple Flying reached out to Pittsburgh International Airport for comment on this week’s incident. However, the request was deferred to the Allegheny County Police. We will update the article with any further announcements.
What are your thoughts about what happened at the airport? How do you feel about the way the incident was dealt with? Let us know what you think about the situation in the comment section.
