Summary
A recent incident at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport threatened its security after a machete-wielding man was spotted there.
Security officers quickly responded to the situation and eventually apprehended the suspect.
Similar security breaches have taken place at other airports, including in Los Angeles and New Delhi.
Airports are some of the most well-protected places in the country, for obvious reasons, and any breach in security could lead to chaos. Recently, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport witnessed a scare of its own when a machete-wielding man was spotted at its premises.
Man enters airport with a machete
In the early morning hours of July 8, a man was found acting suspiciously in the ticketing area of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. According to News 5 Cleveland, one of the passengers, Angelo Piazza, was at the airport to catch a flight back home to Florida when a man asked him about his destination.
Photo: Mikhalis Makarov | Shutterstock
However, as Piazza was waiting in a line at the airport, he noticed the man in question acting suspiciously, crawling around and appearing to attempt what looked like a headstand.
However, things got serious when it was discovered that the individual was armed with a weapon – a machete as well as a knife.
Security officers spring to action
According to FOX 8, police officers found the man sitting on the floor with a machete – he said that it was not a weapon but only a showpiece. However, upon close inspection, the law enforcement officer found it to be quite sharp.
This escalated the situation quickly, with the officer pulling his gun and the suspect shouting, “shoot me, shoot me.” In a recording of the incident, the man can also be seen running away from the police with a knife in his hand and towards the security line.
The individual could also be heard saying that he was peaceful and was trying to get to Jerusalem. Piazza said,
“I was absolutely worried for them. You just saw people like moving in sync like away, getting, you know, away from and they were pushing into each other and they didn’t care.”
According to FOX 8, the suspect was a 37-year-old man from Cleveland who was taken to hospital for a mental health examination. The report also quotes from a statement released by the airport,
“We are aware of an incident involving a disruptive individual within the airport premises this morning. The individual was quickly apprehended and taken into custody. Airport operations were not affected by this incident. As this is an active investigation, any additional questions should be directed to the Cleveland Police Department.”
Other cases
This isn’t the first time airport security has been threatened. Just days ago, a man was caught running on Tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport. He was a passenger inside the terminal and managed to get past security to run around active aircraft. After a short chase that involved the man getting dangerously close to airplanes with running engines, he was apprehended by police officers.
Related Caught On Camera: Man Runs On Tarmac At Los Angeles International Airport After Breaching Security The suspect’s motive remains unclear.
In January, a man gained unauthorized access at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) after scaling a high perimeter wall. He was first spotted by pilots of an Air India flight that had just landed, who informed the ATC. He was said to be intoxicated and possibly under the influence of drugs. The intruder was caught by airport security and handed over to the local police.