Posted on 05/18/2002 11:59:34 AM PDT by freeperfromnj
Several suspicious packages were found at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport on Saturday, causing a slight delay in start of Airshow 2002.
The aiport was locked down Saturday morning following the security breach.
One man who allegedly posed as a member of the Air Force and was later found with one of the packages was taken to the Hamilton County Jail.
The three boxes were detonated by the Chattanooga Police Bomb Squad.
The boxes apparently at one point had some type of explosives in them.
Officials said the man who was arrested had made prior threats regarding the Airshow.
Thousands of people regularly attend the annual show featuring precision performances by the Thunderbirds and others.
The Airshow is Saturday and Sunday under extremely tight security.
Yeah, right before they blew them up! ;-)
The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport was locked down Saturday morning following a security breach.
Three suspicious packages were found at the Airshow. Chattanooga Police Bomb Squad officers detonated the three boxes. They say the boxes, at one point, had some type of explosive material in them but would not elaborate any further.
One man is in custody after he tried to enter the Airshow without proper identification. He told security officers he was a member of the U.S. Air Force and handed the guard a business card. He was stopped but somehow made his way into the Airshow with one of the suspicious packages. He was stopped a short while later. He was taken to the Hamilton County Jail. His name has not been released yet.
In a press conference earlier, Airshow authorities told NewsChannel 9 that the man they have in custody had made threats towards the Airshow and that his picture was going to be distributed to security officers. They say the man made it into the Airshow before his picture was given out.
According to Jessica Stone with Johnson Waterhouse Public Relations, the Airshow is open for business. Security will be very tight and all bags are subject to search.
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Close, but not Memphis. San Diego still ahead of you on the weirdness/terrorism scale.
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