Accused Airport Security Impersonator Not Charged

Man was arrested at airport for motioning women into a private pat-down room.

SAN FRANCISCO – A 53-year-old man wearing khaki pants, a blue shirt, and latex gloves allegedly posed as a security officer at San Francisco International Airport last month and took two women into a private screening room for patdowns, the New York Times reported.

Eric Slighton was arrested at the airport at around 12:30 p.m. on July 15 after he was spotted directing women into the private room, according to CNN. Police officers who responded to the incident said he showed signs of public intoxication and he was placed under arrest.

Slighton, a resident of San Francisco and Hong Kong with an international ticket, told police officers that he’d been in the terminal drinking for hours before going to the security checkpoint, according to The Times.

While a bizarre story, the district attorney dropped charges against the man since there wasn’t much evidence against him, especially since the private screening rooms have no security cameras.

“We don’t know if anything improper did happen” in the screening room, Karen Guidotti, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office Chief Deputy told CNN. “We were never able to locate those women.”

Security screening of passengers and baggage in San Francisco is done by Covenant Aviation Security, a private company under contract to TSA.

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