Man With Several Guns, No Boarding Pass Fights Police At Airport

A man was arrested for fighting with officers after he was not allowed to board a plane with a bag of guns at the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport, Oregon, on Thursday.

Medford Police Lt. Mike Budreau said the 34-year-old Anthony James Anderson showed up at the security checkpoint with a bag of guns, wanting to board a flight. The Transportation Security Administration immediately informed the police that a man was openly carrying handguns and was requesting officials to be allowed to get into the flight. The man neither had an identity proof nor boarding pass. Police reached the scene and evacuated the terminal.

"Upon our arrival, officers learned that the unknown suspect was still at the TSA checkpoint to enter the secure area armed with a handgun in a shoulder holster and requesting to board an airplane. He would not produce identification or a boarding pass," Medford Police said, ABC-affiliated television station KDRV reported.

"He was wearing a shoulder holster with a handgun that everyone could see. He also had a bag with multiple firearms and ammunition,” Budreau said, CBS-affiliated television KVAL reported.

Most people at the airport, however, did not realize that anything was wrong until officials cleared the area around the accused, witnesses said.

"Those in the airport were directed to safer areas. The security checkpoint was temporarily closed,” said the Jackson County Airport Authority in a statement.

Officials then confronted the man who continued to refuse to identify himself. He was then taken into custody.

"One of the officers, trained in hostage negotiations attempted to speak to the suspect without success. Ultimately, the suspect was asked to leave and he refused. Officers attempted to take the suspect into custody for trespassing, and the suspect resisted," police said.

When the officers approached, the man scuffled with them and then reached for his firearm but was wrestled to the floor.

"During the struggle, the suspect reached for his firearm but officers were able to pull his hand away from the gun and get him into custody," police said.

Michelle Freeman, who witnessed the incident, said, "They just jumped on him and wrestled him to the ground, and he was yelling and kicking and fighting.”

She added that the officials then searched the man and found a gun and knife in his pocket.

"A gun went flying first, and then a knife and several magazine clips," she said.

Though the police did not mention anything about the gun in the statement, they, however, confirmed that they found four loaded handguns and additional ammunition while searching the suspect.

Though the motive behind the incident wasn’t clear, the suspect’s behavior showed a mental health crisis. Nobody was injured in the incident. He was charged with assault and placed at Jackson County Jail with bail set at $30,000.