Posted on 11/19/2001 11:43:39 AM PST by 11th Earl of Mar
Edited on 09/03/2002 4:49:34 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
ATLANTA -- A man who dashed through a security checkpoint at the nation's busiest airport, forcing officials to halt flights and evacuate passengers, will not face federal charges, prosecutors said Monday.
Michael Lasseter did not violate any federal laws because he did not board an airplane, and because the screening station guards are not federal agents, said Patrick Crosby, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
Ask the same about people mailing innocuous white powder after the anthrax scares. That wastes the limited resources of our biohazard technicians. The airport security breach further taxes the already overburdened security checkpoints.
Add to that "and to get away". He was caught through chance and recycling back through. That is a serious security flaw.
I hope you're joking. Really, I can't believe you nuts that want this idiot "to be a pauper for the rest of his life," to cite but one example of your ridiculous overreacting.
He didn't give the order to shut down the freakin' airport, people. He's an idiot, not a criminal.
Yeesh, you people scare me sometime. God forbid you guys should make a mistake. Your fellow "conservatives" on Free Republic will sentence you to a life of misery.
PS -- Go Dawgs!
They had two choices. Treat it like a real threat or assume he had a valid reason and ignore it. If they had ignored it and the guy was trying to hijack an airplane, the whole thread would be complaining about the lack of a reaction, vice an over-reaction.
That was done with knowledge of what would happen. THAT was intentional and was specifically intended to induce panic - kind of like robbing a bank with a toy gun.
Walking past the checkpoint was something that he has a responsibility for. The irrational panic, in part caused by poor procedures, and other bureaucratic stupidity, is not rightfully his.
Ramblin' Wreck Bump
The NG, serving under State Active Duty has law enforcement powers. The "no touch" issue is a matter of "rules of engagement" - read: liability.
No, I didn't mean that he should be punished for a crime he didn't commit. I was only pointing out that such a crime as his ignoring security could have been less innocuous than some had suggested, so the terminal shutdown was necessary.
The airport had to shut down the terminal because security had no way of knowing whether the man had anything that wouldn't pass security checks. The man ran away from security. The terminal shutdown wasn't an overreaction. Similar large airport terminal shutdowns for security breaches by selfish individuals have occurred before September 11th. They weren't considered overreactions; they just didn't garner as much interest as this case. (unfortunately, I don't have any examples handy.)
All of what they did, which was not entirely rational, and it was not likely to be more effective that setting off charges and blowing up all of the boarding ramps and tossing chains into the intakes of the jets...which would also be ridiculous.
He didn't commit a crime (by traditional definition). What he did was fail to follow a rule which is used to detect crimes.
He should be punished for evading the rule, not for the panic that ensued...unless you have some reason to believe that he intended it.
All of what they did, which was not entirely rational, and it was not likely to be more effective that setting off charges and blowing up all of the boarding ramps and tossing chains into the intakes of the jets...which would also be ridiculous.
He didn't commit a crime (by traditional definition). What he did was fail to follow a rule which is used to detect crimes.
He should be punished for evading the rule, not for the panic that ensued...unless you have some reason to believe that he intended it.
So goofs that do stupid things are now terrorists?
Please redirect your comments to the person who said that... :)
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