Passenger panics, opens plane’s emergency exit while taxiing at Atlanta airport

ATLANTA — A man who thought he saw a weapon on a flight leaving Atlanta was arrested on Tuesday night.

Atlanta police say someone on board a KLM flight heading to Amsterdam called 911 and said he had possibly seen a weapon.

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Investigators Johannes Van Heertum, 48, panicked and opened the emergency exit door while the plane was taxiing down the runway, deploying the inflatable slide.

Flight 622 returned to the ramp, where officers boarded and took Van Heertum into custody.

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They say he appeared to be having a mental health episode.

Paramedics evaluated him before he was taken to the Clayton County Jail on charges of reckless conduct, criminal property damage and interfering with security measures.

It’s unclear how long the flight was delayed.

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