Atlanta airport supervisor stabbing highlights homelessness issue

ATLANTA - An employee at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport says he is lucky to be alive after he was stabbed while defending his coworker. 

The employee says the stabbing draws attention to airport safety and the growing problem of the unsheltered gathering at the airport. 

"I received a call from dispatch about a disgruntled passenger acting erratically on one of our shuttles," airport supervisor Kwan Lawrence explained. 

Atlanta police say it was 4:30 in the morning when Mr. Lawrence rushed to the airport shuttle. That erratic passenger turned out to be an unhoused, belligerent man who was being aggressive toward the female shuttle driver. 

That is when supervisor Lawrence stepped in. 

"As I told him he can no longer board any shuttles, the situation escalated. He encroached upon my personal space, issuing more threats about how he would end my life," he said. 

Mr. Lawrence says that is when the verbal argument with suspect Jacarie Seymour became physical. 

"During the struggle, I was stabbed in the back, suffered lacerations across my eye and nose, and fractured my right hand," the airport supervisor said. 

Other stakeholders say, with Atlanta's international reputation at stake, it is time to address the unhoused problem. 

"I think we are doing the same thing expecting different results out there. The impact your brand can have on things like passengers, revenue, and overall success. We don't want to get a label stuck on our airport or on our city like some other places around the country, as being dangerous or unsafe," airport consultant Vic Bolton warned. 

Chairman Amos thanked Mr. Lawrence for stepping up and defending his coworker. 

He also stated that he will ensure the issue is addressed by the airport task force. 

Seymour was charged with aggravated assault, aggravated assault, and criminal trespass. He was booked in to the Clayton County Jail