MEDIA UPDATE: MDTA POLICE ACTIVITY AT BWI AIRPORT 10/11/23
Police Thank Public for Their Patience
BALTIMORE, Md. (October 12, 2023) – On Wednesday, October 11, at approximately 2:45 p.m., an individual approached a Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Police Officer, who was proactively patrolling the lower level of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The individual made statements referencing a possible explosive device in their vehicle, which was parked near the entrance to the airport’s lower level.
Based on those statements, the individual was taken into custody, and officers established a perimeter around the vehicle. Officers escorted airport visitors out of the area and held incoming traffic to the airport terminal. Once investigators from the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal determined the vehicle to be safe, normal airport operations resumed. The individual was later transported to a local hospital for mental health treatment.
Throughout the incident, BWI Marshall Airport officials provided information to airport customers. Airport personnel provided verbal information and audio announcements to passengers in the terminal, and the airport’s website and social media channels offered alerts and up-to-date information.
This remains an open and active investigation. No charges have been filed at this time. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the MDTA Police at 410-859-7042.
To ensure the safety of BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport employees, passengers and visitors, the MDTA Police take all potential dangers seriously and investigate them fully.
The MDTA Police received significant support from our Maryland Aviation Administration and airport partners and our local, state and federal public safety partners during this incident. Additionally, the MDTA Police thank the public for their patience while officers worked to ensure the safety of our airport community.
The Maryland Transportation Authority Police, a nationally accredited force, is the eighth-largest law enforcement agency in the State with more than 500 sworn and civilian law enforcement professionals. MDTA Police Officers provide law enforcement services at the MDTA’s highways, bridges, and tunnels, at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and at the Port of Baltimore.