CLEVELAND (WJW) – Video released to the FOX 8 I-Team gives you the first look at an intruder at Hopkins Airport wandering around only steps away from planes.
The I-Team filed a records request for the video after police said a woman made it into a secure area, but she had not been discovered for three hours.
The incident happened in August, and the security video has just been released.
In the video, you see a section of the tarmac with planes parked and airport vehicles scrambling. You can even see a guard shack with someone standing outside.
You can also see a person walking calmly with no obvious concern about getting caught.
The city released to us airport video from the case of April Ford. On a Sunday morning, Cleveland police said she had gotten past security and no one noticed for three hours. The incident even temporarily shut down air traffic.
Police said a worker noticed Ford inside an aircraft maintenance building. Then, she took off.
The video shows her walking away and going up to a guard shack that is staffed around-the-clock. Yet, she does not get stopped there. Instead, she turns and continues walking.
The security video then jumps to when police arrive. A patrol car pulls up and overhead lights start flashing.
Ford was arrested and ultimately indicted.
We shared the video with commercial pilot and flight instructor Robert Katz. We asked him to outline the concerns this should raise for the public.
“Well, quite a few,” he said.
He pointed out that a lot could go wrong with someone on an airfield unchecked.
“They present a hazard to moving aircraft that could result in their serious injury or death,” Katz said. “Or destruction of an aircraft with millions of dollars in damage.”
The I-Team also requested security video showing how that suspect first got into a secure area.
The city has not released any video of that. We’ve learned some investigators believe the woman climbed a fence. Others think she walked in behind a car or truck going through a gate.
In September, we took questions to the airport director. He would not get into specifics of how an intruder could go unnoticed for hours.
We asked Bryant Francis how, in fact, had that security breach gone undetected for so long.
“That’s an understandable question,” he answered. “The reality is this incident is still under investigation. So, there are still a lot of things we need to understand, work through, figure out.”
Records show Ford pleading not guilty, but now she is wanted with a warrant out for her arrest. The court issued the warrant saying Ford did not appear for a hearing.
