Judge throws airport security breach suspect out of court
ATLANTA - The man who was arrested on Tuesday for criminal trespass at Atlanta's airport was thrown out of the courtroom Wednesday morning.
Edonis Andrews, 22, made his first appearance in court Wednesday morning following the security breach at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport where he was found walking near a runway.
At the hearing, Andrews was asked to stay still and stop talking, but he refused to listen. That's when deputies placed tighter shackles on him and removed him from the courtroom. He was later brought back out for his first appearance, where the judge warned him that he's not allowed to be around restricted areas at the airport. He was then granted a $5,000 bond.
Andrews was arrested at about 2 a.m. Tuesday while walking on an internal roadway used by airport workers near a runway.
In a statement to FOX 5 News, Atlanta Police Public Affairs Director Carlos Campos said, “Despite the fact that an individual made his way past the perimeter fence, our multi-layered security approach and response worked exactly the way it’s supposed to and immediately mitigated any threat. Officers arrived on the scene within three minutes of getting the call and apprehended the suspect without incident.”
The arrest of Andrews follows another incident in June when police arrested another man who gained access to a runway climbed onto the wing of a jet and dropped his pants in front of startled passengers.
In his statement, Campos said, “Since the breach in June, we have been reviewing perimeter security. We will be making strong recommendations very soon to further fortify the fencing around the airport.”
Officers said Andrews smelled of alcohol when they arrested him. Police took Andrews to the Clayton County Jail on charges of criminal trespass.
FOX 5 has learned that Andrews has a prior criminal record including an earlier trespassing arrest in Fulton County.
In his statement, Campos also said, “Security at the world’s busiest airport is of the utmost importance. There is no higher priority than making sure our passengers, employees, and contractors at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are safe.”
Andrews' case has moved forward to his preliminary hearing, which will be scheduled at another time.
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Meanwhile, at Atlanta City Hall, the airport general manager told city council members about what needs to be done to keep the airport secure.
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport General Manager Balram Bheodari said they are working to add manpower and give each officer less area to cover as well as upgrade security technology.
By Friday, the airport general manager expects to have a more concrete timeline for everything they hope to add.