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Man Storms TSA Airport Security Checkpoint, Injures Five
A man stormed through a security checkpoint at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport last week, attacking several TSA agents and injuring five.
Newly released footage shows 19-year-old Tyrese Garner body-check a female TSA officer to the floor as he pushed his way through a metal detector in Terminal 4. He also punched several other officers before he was subdued, according to ABC15.
Garner was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing, assault and resisting arrest. At least one TSA agent was taken to the hospital, with another four taken to an urgent care facility.
"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 told ABC15, who had just passed through the checkpoint when the incident occurred.
"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," said Jones. "I don't know what his deal was. It was just an unhappy guy rushing through there."
Garner is from Texas and is mentally disturbed, and was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time, according to the report.
The TSA said in a statement: "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."
