LINTHICUM, Md. — A Laurel man is undergoing a medical evaluation after breaching security Saturday at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
Maryland Transportation Authority police identified the man who crashed his car through a secure area at Signature Aviation as Andrew Kottke, 42.
According to a witness who declined to be identified, Kottke traveled far into the airport property before being stopped by police. The witness said the breach is more serious than authorities describe, and the man may have been on the loose in a speeding car five to six minutes before being stopped.
"He tried to make a run for it and they apprehended him," the witness said. "It's quite disturbing. You have many people who have families or children, as I do. Anybody could have gotten hurt anywhere around that vehicle. Nobody knew what he was doing it just seemed crazy."
The witness reported seeing a 2013 Chevy Camaro entering the Signature Aviation property at a high rate of speed, crashing through a fence.
"He then drove at a high rate of speed, missing some aircraft and doing doughnuts. Some Signature employees began to come out and tried to figure out what was going on. When they approached, he sped off," the witness said.
The witness said, moments later, the man got out of the car and started to dance, twirling in circles. The witness described the man as distraught.
"It seemed odd, maybe tribal something. It was just weird," the witness said.
MDTA police confirmed that Kottke boarded an unoccupied plane, not an airliner, before he was caught.
Court records indicate Kottke had a domestic violence complaint filed against him. On May 26, Prince George's County District Court issued a peace order against him. The next day, the court expanded it, saying Kottke "shall not abuse, shall not contact, shall vacate the home and shall not enter the property."
Kottke's current employment status is not being confirmed. In 2015, he served in the U.S. Marshal's Service and received honors as an officer of the month for crowd control.
But at the airport on Saturday, Kottke started drawing a crowd, the witness said.
"He sped off again toward the international terminal and started doing doughnuts," the witness said.
Kottke wore a backpack that authorities said contained personal items. Kottke faces state and possibly federal charges when he's released from his medical evaluation.
Original article can be found here: http://www.wbaltv.com
LINTHICUM, Md. (WBFF) - The suspect detained for driving through a security fence at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Saturday afternoon was identified as a 42-year-old Laurel man who is also a former U.S. Marshal.
Andrew John Kottke, who was apprehended after the 1:30 p.m. incident, spent 17 years as a deputy U.S. Marshal for District of Columbia Superior Court, confirmed MDTA police spokesperson Kevin Ayd and U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Michelle Coghill.
Kottke was being medically evaluated as of Sunday, and will be formally charged after his release, said Ayd.
The. U.S. Office of Public Affairs confirmed Sunday morning that Kotke is a former employee of the United States Marshals Service.
FBI is also involved in the investigation, said Ayd.
The vehicle drove through a perimeter security fence, said Ayd.
"There was no impact to airline flight operations," he said.
Story and video: http://foxbaltimore.com
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Our media partner The Baltimore Sun reports a man who drove through a perimeter gate at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport on Saturday afternoon made it onto an airplane with a backpack before authorities could catch up to him and detain him, according to Maryland Transportation Authority Police.
“He did enter an unoccupied aircraft,” MDTA Police spokesman Kevin Ayd tells The Sun.
“The aircraft and the backpack were checked, and there was nothing that was alarming,” he says.
The backpack contained only “papers and personal effects,” and the FBI determined “this was not terrorism related,” Ayd said.
The FBI did not respond to a request for comment on Monday, The Sun reports.
Ayd tells The Sun the plane was a smaller model aircraft, such as those that are boarded not directly from terminal gates but via stairs on the tarmac. He also says he did not know the owner of the aircraft, or whether it was a major airline.
MDTA Spokesman Kevin Ayd says the incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. when a vehicle broke through the perimeter gate at the Signature Flight Support, which is mostly used for private and charter planes.
MDTA police responded and took Andrew John Kottke, 42, from Laurel, into custody.
Police don’t yet have a motive.
Within hours, the hole in the fence was replaced by concrete barriers, security and police officers.
Court records show just hours before the incident at BWI, a domestic violence case was brought against Kottke in Prince George’s County.
WJZ has also learned Kottke is an accomplished officer. He once received an Officer of the Month award as a Deputy U.S. Marshal.
There was no impact to BWI flight operations.
BWI authorities have ruled the incident isn’t terrorism-related.
“This is still a very active investigation at this time. So we don’t really have much more information to go on, as the investigators go into the reason why the individual did drive onto the, through the security gate,” Ayd says.
Police haven’t released Kottke’s charges.
Original article can be found here: http://baltimore.cbslocal.com
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