Disturbing new footage shows two brutal and unprovoked attacks on police officers working at the Salt Lake City airport.
In a clip filmed on March 12, a man can be seen throwing his bag and stabbing an SLCPD officer who was walking past him in the airport terminal in what appears to be an unprovoked assault.
The 33-year-old first turns his attention to the second officer and appears ready to strike again. Instead, he quickly raises his arms and then kneels after the attack and is easily subdued.
“The man, without warning, dropped his bag and punched the policeman in the head, nearly knocking him to the ground,” police said.
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In a clip filmed on March 12, a 33-year-old man is seen throwing his bag and stabbing an SLCPD officer, apparently unprovoked.
After the blow, the man quickly raises his hands up, and after the attack he kneels, and he is easy to pacify.
“After the blow, the man turned his attention to the second officer and seemed to want to strike a second time, but immediately took a position of surrender and raised his hands up.”
The man, whose name has not been released, was taken into custody and placed in the Salt Lake City County Jail on charges of assaulting an officer.
Captain Stefan Bennett of the SLCPD Airport Department told KSLTV that “the pursuit of my officers, especially in the second incident, is of the utmost importance to [him].’
Another disturbing video from February 17 begins with a 28-year-old man dressed all in black with a green cap covering his long red hair, standing in front of a TSA agent with his arms folded awkwardly across his chest and looking around anxiously.
Another clip from Feb. 17 begins with a 28-year-old man dressed all in black, with a green cap covering his long red hair, standing in front of a TSA agent with his arms folded awkwardly across his chest and looking around anxiously.
He attempts to get past the female agent, but is quickly intercepted by an officer from the Salt Lake City Police Department, who fights him to the ground with the help of a male TSA agent.
But about a minute later, when the officer handcuffed the man’s hand, the man suddenly rolls over and delivers two blows.
A disobedient man kicks an officer in a fight with one handcuff dangling from his wrist.
He attempts to get past the female agent, but is quickly intercepted by an officer from the Salt Lake City Police Department, who fights him to the ground with the help of a male TSA agent.
For a moment it seems that the disobedient person has been subdued. The officer is seen talking into the radio and then turning the man on his back to handcuff him.
“I need you to calm down, sir,” an SLCPD officer can be heard speaking in body camera footage of the incident. “Calm down, damn it! Calm down! On the stomach!
The officer yells over and over for the man to put his hands behind his back.
But about a minute later, when the officer put one handcuff on the man’s arm, the man suddenly rolls over and delivers two blows. He quickly crawls away, kicking the cop when he tries to grab him again.
At that moment, retired law enforcement officer Enrique Rodriguez, who witnessed the struggle during the search, runs to the officer’s aid and knocks the combative man back to the ground after he jumped up.
“The gentleman pushed the cop off him. And since the officer was alone in the fight and staggering, I decided to intervene to help them,” Rodriguez told KSLTV after the incident. “Instinct took over law enforcement and the human aspect.”
“I am very grateful that he was able to intervene,” Bennett said.
The officer is then able to grab the man, with Rodriguez helping to maintain control. Two more officers run up to hold the man, then a third comes up to help.
The officer is then able to grab the man, with Rodriguez helping to maintain control. Two more officers run up to hold the man, then a third comes up to help.
“Stop resisting! Give us another hand! Officers can be heard talking in body camera footage
“Stop resisting! Give us another hand! Officers can be heard talking in body camera footage.
– Another hand now! Give me your hand! Okay, man, calm down. Can you calm down?
“Yes, sir,” the angry man can be heard speaking, breathing heavily.
SLCPD officials told KSL TV that the man was not a registered passenger and had no business at the airport. The case has since been turned over to the FBI and US Attorney’s Office.
According to them, the man did not go beyond the inspection zone and did not affect the work of the airport.
Dramatic hardship began when the number of on-board violations in the US jumped 500 percent, from 2 incidents per 1 million checked passengers in 2019 to 12 per 1 million passengers in 2021, according to the TSA.
The Federal Aviation Administration said there were 85 attacks on TSA employees since January 1. On Tuesday, the agency told a US House of Representatives panel that they had received 3,509 reports of rebellious airline passengers, including 2,605 who refused to wear a mask to protect against the spread of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, resistance to arrests and attacks on police officers in Salt Lake City increased by 16.33 percent last year.
Salt Lake City Police Department Chief Mike Brown said “these incidents show a complete disregard for basic dignity and respect.”
“This kind of behavior could put our officers, air passengers and airport staff at risk, and I hope that attacks like this end now.”
Matt Davis, director of federal security for TSA in Utah, said the agency takes a “zero-tolerance approach to threats, verbal abuse and physical abuse of any kind against our employees.”