On Tuesday morning, a man was recorded charging Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
The newly-released video shows 19-year-old Tyrese Garner rushing a TSA security checkpoint at Terminal 4, around 9:45 a.m. on June 18th. Garner, reportedly unprovoked, pushed past other passengers and through the metal detector and injuring at least five TSA employees in his assault.
The video was posted to YouTube by BRProud News – NBC Local 33 / Fox44.
Arizona police arrested him on charges of criminal trespassing, assault, and resisting arrest. Local ABC affiliate Channel 15 reported that Garner attempted to “resist arrest, kicking and writhing while refusing to be taken out of the terminal.”
“Got done putting my shoes on and was walking down the hallway part there and all of a sudden I heard screaming and hollering,” witness Donnie Jones recalled.
“When he was coming over that counter… He was, like, jumping at somebody, and you could just see a bunch of swinging, and that, and you couldn’t really tell what was going on,” he continued. “I don’t know what his deal was. It was just an unhappy guy rushing through there.”
TSA released a statement regarding the attack, saying:
This unprovoked and brazen physical attack against our TSOs is unacceptable. We are grateful for our committed workforce and for the role they play in protecting the traveling public every day. We continue to monitor the safety and health of the TSOs involved in this incident and will cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.
One of Garner’s victims was transported to the hospital, while at least four others were instead taken to a nearby “urgent care” facility. Their respective statuses at this point are unknown.
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