Naked man arrested on Birmingham airport tarmac
Birmingham AL September 29 2019
Airline passengers in Birmingham got a wakeup call when they looked out their window before takeoff and saw a naked man on the tarmac.
The incident happened around 5:30 a.m. Thursday at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.
The naked man told authorities he was robbed somewhere in the area before he made his way onto airport property, according to Birmingham police Sgt. Johnny Williams.
After airport employees stopped the man, Williams said he was taken into custody by airport security and Birmingham police officers.
The man’s name has not been released, but police discovered he had an outstanding felony probation violation warrant in Shelby County.
Airline passengers posted their photos of the naked man on social media. Passenger Stephen Reeves said he was on a Delta flight headed to Atlanta, and he was sitting in the first row.
“The captain made an announcement that we were standing by because of an unauthorized person on the ramp. I went back to reading and then the man in 1B pointed out the window and I saw what- the man laying on the tarmac.”
Reeves continued, “The man on the phone and the man in the orange vest were all that were there at first. Then Joe, a Delta redcoat came down. He surveyed the scene and then went to retrieve a blanket to cover the man.” Reeves said police approached the man slowly and sat him up so officers could talk to him.
“Per a flight deck announcement, a Delta mechanic did a walk around of our plane before we pushed back,” Reeves added.
An airport spokesperson said later Thursday that the naked man was “in a restricted area without authorization” when he was spotted on the tarmac near gates A2 and A4. “During the incident, flight operations continued with only one flight experiencing a departure delay of about 20 minutes, according to the airline,” the spokesperson said.
“The safety and security of the traveling public is of high importance and was never compromised during this unfortunate event. The Birmingham Airport Authority takes this matter very seriously and is working with the Birmingham Police Department in continuing the investigation of this incident.”
al.com
