A 44-year-old man threatened to kill a federal security agent at the Twin Cities airport and went after police officers until he was subdued, according to charges.
Frank Towers of Minneapolis was charged in Hennepin County District Court last week with fourth-degree assault and threats of violence, both felonies, in connection with the outburst at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Towers appeared in court Monday and remains jailed in lieu of $30,000 bail. Court records do not list an attorney for him.
Towers' criminal history includes three pending cases of assault in Olmsted County. Each case file notes Towers' history of mental illness.
According to the criminal complaint:
Airport police saw Towers at a skyway-level security checkpoint area yelling that he was going to kill a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employee, swinging a stanchion and throwing it at the agent.
Towers defied police orders to stop, and they responded by shooting a Taser at him. Towers then came at an officer while swinging his arms. Additional officers arrived and arrested him.
Law enforcement reviewed airport surveillance video and saw Towers punching and head-butting television screens and throwing a chair.
Paul Walsh
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