Columbus, Ohio: A man who tried to buy an airline ticket using a fake ID was fatally shot Wednesday after returning to his illegally parked car, where he lunged at an airport police officer with a knife during a confrontation, police said.
The man had multiple knives on him and suspicious items in his car that led to a bomb squad investigation, Police Sgt. Rich Weiner said. The man was identified only as a Columbus-area resident in his early 40s pending notification of his relatives.
After the first shots were fired, the man got back up and headed back toward the terminal, at which point a second airport officer shot him, Weiner said. It was unclear whether he was shot by both officers. He was shot multiple times, Weiner said.
Police are investigating the man's background and why he was using a fake ID to buy a ticket.“At this point this is just a violent encounter between an armed man and the officers here,” Weiner said.
Surveillance video, which was not released, will show what happened, he said.The incident caused some airport delays as the ticketing level was put off limits and passengers were diverted to a lower-level area to enter the airport, said Elaine Roberts, president and chief executive officer of Columbus Regional Airport Authority.
The confrontation outside occurred after the officer called a tow truck for the man's vehicle, which he left illegally parked in the departures area.
That area was blocked off Wednesday afternoon, but the airport said flights were running as scheduled. Departing passengers were directed to enter through the arrivals area.
