Police stop man who ran for Hartsfield-Jackson runway

ATLANTA — Airport personnel were forced to tackle an unruly passenger on the tarmac after he ran out an emergency exit Wednesday night.

According to officials at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, a gate agent noticed Nathan Smith, 23, cursing and talking loudly.

An off-duty officer approached Smith to calm him down, but he ran away and into the Sky Club Room, Channel 2's Ryan Young confirmed.

Once in the Sky Club Room, Smith went out an emergency exit and onto the runway, the airport said.

Airport employees were able to detain Smith until police arrived, and he was arrested without incident. He has since bonded out of jail.

Passengers said the breach did not affect their views of security at the airport.

"I think TSA works very hard and tries to make it work for all of us. I think we have to be very vigilant and be on alert, all of us. We live in a great country," passenger Jeanne Wines told Young.

WSBTV