Man runs past security checkpoint at Denver airport before being apprehended

The Transportation Security Administration is investigating how a man with a criminal record was able to run inside Denver International Airport and make it past security screening on Tuesday before being apprehended.

David Rimmer, 49, was arrested by Denver police on a state charge of hindering a transportation facility after parking his truck on the east side of DIA’s passenger drop-off area and running inside through TSA security until he was taken down outside the concourse trains.

“This was a citation, so this person is not going to be jailed,” said Jay Casillas, a spokesman for the Denver Police Department.

The airport momentarily suspended security screening and trains to and from the north and south concourses on Tuesday afternoon, but operations resumed minutes later.

Rimmer wasn’t carrying weapons, and no one was injured in the incident.

The airport sprint wasn’t Rimmer’s only run-in with the law Tuesday.

On his way to the airport, Rimmer side-swiped a vehicle.

“No one was injured, but he’s going to be charged for that, too,” Casillas said.

TSA, along with airport and local law enforcement, is reviewing the incident to ensure all of the DIA checkpoints have optimal security.

“However, the incident yesterday is a good example of how TSA, the airport, and the Denver Police Department work together to respond to potential threats,” Casillas said. “TSA immediately alerted onsite law enforcement while following the individual who ran through the checkpoint. The individual was quickly apprehended by police with the least amount of disruption to other passengers and without evacuating the checkpoint or rescreening large numbers of travelers.”

Rimmer has a criminal history dating back to 1996 that includes driving under the influence arrests and trespassing, according to Colorado Bureau of Investigation records.

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