Posted on 09/21/2007 11:03:43 AM PDT by Rutles4Ever
(WBZ) BOSTON An MIT student with a fake bomb strapped to her chest was arrested at gunpoint Friday at Logan International Airport and later claimed it was artwork, officials said.
Star Simpson, 19, had a computer circuit board and wiring in plain view over a black hooded sweat shirt she was wearing, said State Police Maj. Scott Pare, the commanding officer at the airport.
"She said that it was a piece of art and she wanted to stand out on career day," Pare said at a news conference. "She claims that it was just art, and that she was proud of the art and she wanted to display it."
The battery-powered rectangular device had nine flashing lights, he said. Simpson also had Play-Doh in her hands, he said.
The phrases "Socket to me" and "Course VI" were written on the back of sweat shirt, which authorities displayed to the media. Course VI appears to be a reference to MIT's major of electrical engineering and computer science.
Simpson was charged with disturbing the peace and possessing a hoax device.
She pleaded not guilty to a charge of possessing a hoax device at her arraignment in East Boston District Court Friday afternoon. She was released on $750 bail and ordered to stay away from Logan Airport.
Simpson could face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
"I'm shocked and appalled that somebody would wear this type of device to an airport," Pare said.
Simpson was "extremely lucky she followed the instructions or deadly force would have been used," Pare said. "She's lucky to be in a cell as opposed to the morgue."
Simpson is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology sophomore from Hawaii, officials said.
Simpson was a member of MIT's swimming and diving team in 2006, according to the team's Web site, which lists her hometown as Kihei, Hawaii, and her high school as Hawaii Preparatory. MIT spokeswoman Patti Richards confirmed that Simpson is an MIT student, but said the school could not immediately confirm any other details and did not have further comment.
She was arrested about 8 a.m. outside Terminal C, home to United Airlines, Jet Blue and other carriers.
A Massachusetts Port Authority staffer manning an information booth in the terminal became suspicious when Simpson -- wearing the device -- approached to ask about an incoming flight, Pare said. Simpson then walked outside, and the information booth attendant notified a nearby trooper.
The trooper, joined by others with submachine guns, confronted her at a traffic island in front of the terminal.
"She was immediately told to stop, to raise her hands and not to make any movement, so we could observe all her movements to see if she was trying to trip any type of device," Pare said. "Had she not followed the protocol, we might have used deadly force."
Pare said Simpson took a subway to the airport, but he was not sure if she had the device on at that time.
She told authorities she was at the airport to greet someone arriving on a flight from Oakland. Authorities verified information as to the name of the passenger she was greeting, and said he had already left the airport.
"She did seem a bit upset that she was in custody. However, she was rational, and she did answer all questions as required," Pare said.
The major praised the booth attendant but said the incident is a reminder of the terrorism threat confronting the civil aviation system. Two of the four passenger jets hijacked on Sept. 11, 2001, took off from Logan.
"In this day and age, the threat continues to be there," said Pare. "She certainly jeopardized her own safety by bringing this to the airport, as well as the safety of everybody around her."
The city was the focus of a major security scare Jan. 31 when dozens of battery-powered devices were discovered in various locations. Bomb squads were deployed, and highways, bridges and some transit stations were temporarily closed. They turned out to be a promotion for cable TV's Cartoon Network.
Stay with wbztv.com and WBZ-TV for the latest on this developing story.
Moderator wanna bees are a dime a dozen here. Get in line.
Guilty! (of not being hot)
That's at least two of us.
When I see a post that I have already read.....I don't click on it. It's very easy to not do.
Back to DU for you.
Are we looking at the same picture? There may be an age difference between us, I'm 62 and maybe not as discerning as when I was younger.
I know it was not a bomb because THE POLICE SAID IT WAS NOT A BOMB. RTFA.
Back to the CAVE for you troll.
I’ll bet she’s a Rat too. Or at least the makings of one.
Right on.
I think they should have shot her in the leg. Her stupidity warrants at least that much of a sentence.
coiled wires? = RF choke.
I disagree. She is so self absorbed she doesn’t care about anyone else.
There are plenty more like her.
The girl is a damn fool and needs to spend a minimum of 30 days in jail as well as pay a fine of at least $15000.
The only good that will come out of this is we will soon see the parents of this twit go public and decry the system that preys on a young girl who was only trying to make an artful statement.
In the end we can all have a good laugh on their behalf.
Look there’s some truth in what you are saying, but I can’t entirely agree.
What would be the purpose of having bare electronics in this public setting? People are naturally going to want to investigate. As long as you could provide a reasoned explanaton, and perhaps show them the device functioning, they’d probably make you put it in your luggage and forget about it.
There’s just too much going on right now. If I have to take my shoes, jacket and other items off to get through security, bare electronics seem like fair game to me.
Take care.
Like I said, back to DU, or is it KOS.
That may be the case. I have known some brilliant people who couldn’t think their way out of a paper bag. While that’s an exageration, it’s not that much of one.
What questions other than "do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you?" is she *required* to answer??
The mods wait for someone to bring things to their attention. I'm happy to help.
I think duplicates are a waste of FR resources, and it keeps smaller groups of users separated, though discussing the same article.
Everyone benefits by eliminating duplicates.
It's not a "smack-down", so please don't react as if it were.
Woulda been a shame to shoot something that nice. But hey! I thought you had to be bright to get into MIT!
Why didn’t she just apply for a MSNBC job like every other irresponsible, attention-seeking huckster?
I’m sure they would have found a spot between Matthews and Olbermann in the genius category. Next, she’ll be suing CBS for $70 million and they’ll give her the Evening News anchor job instead.
What won’t these self-proclaimed liberal geniuses think up next?
Not necessarily, if you are a member of certain special groups....
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