Monday, October 31, 2011

Unruly Airport Passenger Attacked Authorities, Police Say. Man Faces Battery Charge After Saturday Night Incident

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Police said an intoxicated airline passenger, who was banned from a flight to Portland, hit an officer in the face while under arrest at the security checkpoint on Saturday night.

Laurence Pena said he was catching a flight to Portland on Saturday, but police stepped in after an agent said he was too intoxicated to board the plane.

Pena faced a judge on Sunday afternoon for the first time since his arrest.

“I was actually already at the airport and had checked my bags,” Pena said.

Pena walked into the security checkpoint as a passenger, but soon left in police custody.

“To be so intoxicated, and become not just rhetorically combative, but physically combative changes the entire environment,” Albuquerque Aviation Police Chief Marshall Katz said.

Police said TSA agents noticed that Pena was drunk and had an officer come take a look. Authorities decided to let Southwest Airlines make the call on whether or not Pena could fly. When an agent asked Pena to sober up and take a later flight, he refused.

Things escalated when Pena started shouting at TSA agents at the security checkpoint. Police said the 34-year-old hit one officer across the face and cut another officer’s hand while in handcuffs. The passenger even threw himself on the ground to avoid getting into the back of a police car, police said.

“The best advice in the world is the free advice. Don't drink and drive, and don't come to an airport drunk. it's just a bad idea,” Katz said.

The judge told Pena he could come back to the airport and get his luggage from the airline after he bails out of jail. Pena was charged with battery on a peace officer.

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