This morning a few early travelers at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport were witnesses to a six-minute security breach that resulted in a local man being arrested on a series of charges after he drove his pickup truck across taxiways and runways before peacefully surrendering.
Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police Chief Brian Patterson told Buffalo Toronto Public Media that the subject faces, at least initially, state felony charges of burglary, criminal mischief, and trespassing. More charges may be filed, depending on the outcome of local, state, and federal investigations, Patterson said.
The incident began with the subject crashing his pickup truck through a security fence just off Luiz Kahl Way - the airport’s main roadway. The breach happened in a fence link just before Genesee Street.
“We were prepared for what happened,” Patterson said. “When folks intentionally breach the airport, there is a plan of action. Would we like for there to be an inability to breach? Yes, we work hard to achieve that, but when it does happen, and we know that these things can happen, our job is to make sure that we're responsive, and we train for that, and our officers were responsive to that.”
After a brief chase, the subject surrendered along an inactive runway. According to Chief Patterson, despite the incident, no flights were delayed, and it remained business as usual for the travelers.
