Suspect caught after jumping from Sun Country plane at MSP to avoid arrest

The suspect opened an emergency door to make his getaway, but was caught about 30 minutes later.

July 11, 2023 at 8:43PM
Image of Sun Country Airlines planes.
A passenger attempted to evade police by opening the emergency exit of a Sun Country flight and running onto the tarmac Sunday, July 9, at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. (Glen Stubbe, Star Tribune file/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A Sun Country Airlines passenger wanted for violating a restraining order and drug charges attempted to evade police by opening the emergency exit and running onto the tarmac Sunday night at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Police were waiting at the gate to take the 44-year-old New Brighton man into custody when Flight 346 from Orlando landed at Terminal 2 at 11:15 p.m. But the man opened the emergency exit door over the wing, jumped to the airfield and ran, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Airports Commission said.

About 30 minutes later, airport employees alerted police from four agencies participating in the search that the man was hiding inside an airline food service truck. Authorities took the man into custody.

Airport operations were unaffected as the search and arrest was conducted, said airport spokesman Jeff Lea.

The suspect was booked into the Hennepin County jail, where he remained Tuesday morning, according to online jail records. The Star Tribune generally does not name suspects until charges are filed.

The man had been on probation in connection with a felony assault case in Ramsey County but violated the terms, prompting an arrest warrant, court records show. The suspect also had outstanding warrants on third-degree drug charges, the Wright County Sheriff's Office said.

about the writer

Tim Harlow

Reporter

Tim Harlow covers traffic and transportation issues in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and likes to get out of the office, even during rush hour. He also covers the suburbs in northern Hennepin and all of Anoka counties, plus breaking news and weather. 

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