A Pinole police officer on vacation with his family returned to his law enforcement duties earlier than expected when he took down an aggressive traveler who attacked a TSA security officer in the Honolulu International Airport March 30.
Corporal Justin Rogers had barely taken off his shoes to go through security about 12:55 p.m. when he saw a woman push over a security checkpoint sign for a lane reserved for pilots and staff, Cmdr. Pete Janke said. A TSA security officer who went over to stop her was promptly attacked by the violent woman, and several travelers in the security terminal began screaming.
When Rogers saw that no other security personnel were coming to help the female officer, Rogers vaulted
over the half-wall separating him from the attack, pulled the woman off the officer and tackled her to the floor, Janke said. He quickly identified himself to the slew of TSA agents rushing the terminal, and an airport police officer handed him a pair of handcuffs to finish the job.
Honolulu police, airport security and the TSA all thanked Rogers for detaining the violent woman, Janke said. Rogers gave a statement to these authorities and made his flight back to the Bay Area, where he has since resumed patrol in Pinole.
"We're very proud of his actions," Janke said of Rogers, who has been with the Pinole police department since October 2006. "He acted decisively, and was looking out for the other people around him. He did what
we would expect a Pinole police officer to do."
Contact Erin Ivie at [email protected]. Follow her at Twitter.com/erin_ivie.
Copyright 2013 - Tri-Valley Times, Pleasanton, Calif.
