Body camera footage has surfaced showing the arrest of a passenger at O’Hare International Airport who had a loaded gun moments before takeoff.
53-year-old Besnik Ismajlaj managed to get through security with a Glock 9mm semi-automatic in his carry-on during a TSA shift change last month.
The newly released video captures Ismajlaj seated in first class as police escort him off the plane.
When questioned about the police’s presence, he acknowledged, “Yeah, that’s in my bag,” as indicated by police documentation. The video also shows him stating, “I forgot about it,” after being handcuffed following his departure from the plane.
In the footage, Ismajlaj appears surprisingly calm while the officers sift through his backpack and uncover the firearm.
Residing in St. Charles, Illinois, Ismajlaj brought the handgun through security checkpoint 2 at O’Hare’s Terminal 1 on April 15. TSA officials acknowledged that they noticed the gun on the x-ray machine but did not act before he continued onto his flight.
Another traveler in line had reportedly noted how a passenger might inadvertently show a gun while proceeding through security.
Once the police took him away from the plane, video footage showed officers placing him in a police van, after which he was read his Miranda rights in a holding area.
Ismajlaj faces several misdemeanor charges for carrying a concealed firearm in an airport. His court appearance is scheduled for June 9th.
