TEXARKANA, Ark. (KTAL/KMSS) – A juvenile was arrested at the Texarkana Regional Airport in Arkansas on Tuesday morning after allegedly demanding a plane while brandishing two firearms.
Officers with the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department responded to a call from Signature Aviation for reports of a disturbance at an aviation hangar just after 7:30 a.m. The staff had said an armed suspect walked up to the front desk and demanded an aircraft, while carrying both a rifle and a handgun, according to a Texarkana Arkansas PD news release.
“The staff there remained calm and used the training of, run, hide, fight,” said Texarkana Regional Airport Director Paul Mehrlich. “They were able to get away from [the suspect] and call the police department.”
After the employees got to safety, the suspect “breached through a door onto the airfield,” Mehrlich said.
A pilot soon spotted the teen, grabbed his own firearm, and ordered the suspect to the ground. The suspect complied and was disarmed. Police arrived on the scene shortly afterward to take him into custody.
The suspect, whose name has not been released, was arrested on counts of aggravated assault, attempted aggravated robbery, and terroristic threatening in the first-degree. He was transferred to an Arkansas juvenile detention center.
Police and airport officials credit the actions of the pilot and staff at Signature Aviation for helping to resolve the potentially dangerous issue. The pilot did not want to be identified.
“The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department applauds the heroic act by the local pilot,” police wrote in the news release. “The fact that this incident was resolved quickly and peacefully, despite the extreme danger presented, is highly commendable.”
Mehrlich added that the security plan in place at the Texarkana Regional Airport worked as intended, but there is always room for improvement.
“Of course, anytime you have an incident like this, we find ways to improve it, make it faster, make it so that, you know, if you can even shave 10 to 15 seconds off, that could mean more lives saved in the future.” said Mehrlich.