Ohioan shot with Taser at Metro Airport after running past checkpoint

Steve Pardo / The Detroit News

Romulus -- FBI officials have charged a 27-year-old Ohio man with violating airport security requirements after he allegedly ran past a security checkpoint at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, refused orders to stop and was shot with a Taser on Monday morning.

FBI Special Agent Michael Thomas filed the criminal complaint Monday against Kaylan Policherla in U.S. District Court in Detroit.

In the report, Thomas said Policherla walked through the checkpoint and metal detector with his hands concealed within his jacket pockets. He didn't have a ticket or identification, authorities said.

"I am aware that Policherla was not responsive to the verbal commands given to him by airport police and that an airport officer had discharged his Taser at subject, which had no effect on subject," Thomas wrote.

Policherla is being charged with knowingly entering an aircraft or airport area in violation of security requirements. A man, identified by Thomas as Policherla, ran past the security checkpoint at the McNamara Terminal about 7:45 a.m. and refused to stop when ordered by Transportation Security Administration officers, said Jim Fotenos, TSA spokesman.

The incident caused a partial evacuation at the airport, and passengers were required to be re-screened. Flights were delayed by nearly an hour.

"I heard somebody yell, 'Get him out of here,' " said John Pecha, 60, of Harrison Township, who was waiting by the baggage claim. "About eight police officers had this guy, and they were hustling him out of the building."

The man was taken into custody by airport police.

Thomas is part of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. He arrived at the airport about 8:30 a.m. Monday in response to the incident. In his report, he said he reviewed surveillance tapes that showed Policherla moving past screeners, who activated an alarm.

"It worked really well. This guy had no place to go," said Michael Conway, airport spokesman.

Monday's incident is at least the third security breach at a major U.S. airport this year. On Jan. 3, Newark Liberty International Airport was evacuated when a security officer failed to react when a man went through the wrong door. The breach caused a seven-hour delay.

A New York man was arrested and charged with criminal trespass in a Jan. 16 incident at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The airport was evacuated after a man opened a restricted door and set off an alarm.

The episodes came amid heightened security concerns just days after the Dec. 25 bombing attempt at Metro Airport.

Screening passengers always has the potential for problems, said Todd Curtis, an aviation safety expert and founder of airsafe.com out of Seattle.

"When it comes to security, the screeners are dealing with the general population. ... They can be ticked off at the world, they can be drunk, they could have psychological imbalances," Curtis said.