ORLANDO, Fla. – A man is in custody after an attempted security breach at Orlando International Airport, according to officials from the Orlando Police Department.
Just after noon Saturday, Ryan Mills attempted to enter the west checkpoint area of the airport, according to OPD spokesman Eduardo Bernal.
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Bernal said while officers were attempting to arrest the 37-year-old, he reached into his pocket, which prompted someone to yell that the man had a gun.
The incident caused "panic" in the screening area, according to Bernal. He said some people waiting in line ran through security checkpoints, which caused Transportation Security Administration officers to suspend screening.
Bernal said Mills was taken into involuntary protective custody under the Baker Act. Charges of disorderly conduct and resisting an officer without violence will be filed with the State Attorney's Office.
Law enforcement officers can be seen surrounding a man in a photo posted on Twitter from one traveler.
Fennell said the incident affected gates 1-59 and that no one was injured.
Chaos erupted at Orlando International Airport after a man tried to breach a security checkpoint and travelers yelled out that the suspect had a gun, police said. https://t.co/X6Ws3VH7a8 pic.twitter.com/O7oe1u1MHu
— ABC News (@ABC) February 16, 2019
Karla Alexander was at the airport to see her parents off on their outgoing flight to Lima, Peru. She said everything was "chaos and desperation" during the incident.
"My parents were right there at the checkpoint, they had to run to the Seaworld store to be safe," Alexander said in a Facebook message. "As other people ran to other stores there, they allowed people in and immediately closed their doors to keep them safe."
A tweet from the airport said the incident temporarily paused security screening and tram service. Officials said normal airport operations have now resumed, though delays are still expected.
Alexander said it took her parents about an hour to reach their gate once the trams resumed service.
The delays are the second OIA is experiencing this month. On Feb. 2, a Transportation Security Administration employee jumped to his death in the airport, causing massive security delays and nearly 100 cancelled flights.