This archive report was first published on 10 October 2021.
On Saturday afternoon, a plane traveling from Indianapolis landed at La Guardia Airport in New York after a security incident, prompting an emergency response from firefighters and police personnel.
The flight, operated by Republic Airways as American Flight 4817, declared an emergency and landed shortly after 3 p.m., according to a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman.
A passenger, Fawad Khuja, described a chaotic scene as the plane landed, with people panicking and getting shoved to the ground. He said he saw emergency responders throw a man to the ground and take him into custody.
The person taken into custody was not identified, but a Port Authority spokesman said the man's 'suspicious and erratic behavior' had caused other passengers to alert the pilot.
Several passengers who were closest to the individual with erratic behavior were interviewed, and the person was being detained for questioning by the police.
A video taken on the ground showed emergency responders surrounding a man who was on his stomach as passengers stood nearby.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the F.B.I. did not respond to emails or phone calls on Saturday afternoon.
