Two people have been arrested after a vehicle linked by police to an unlawful street-racing group crashed through a locked security gate at Scottsdale Airport, struck a detective’s car and hit a small aircraft in Arizona.
Phoenix police said the incident began at about 11pm on Saturday, October 17, when officers attempted to stop the vehicle in Phoenix. The driver refused to pull over and the department’s air support unit tracked it as it crossed into Scottsdale.
Police said officers on the ground did not pursue the car until it reached the airport gate, where it stopped. When they attempted to make an arrest, the driver reversed into a detective’s vehicle before accelerating forwards through the barrier.
The vehicle entered an active runway, hit a wall and then collided with an unoccupied small plane before coming to a stop inside a private hangar, according to investigators.
The suspects were identified as Liberty Dawn Still, 33, and Michael Gregory Wall, 24. Both left the vehicle and ran towards the airport tarmac, with officers using a Taser on Wall after he resisted arrest.
Still and Wall were taken into custody and booked on felony charges. Police have not released the precise charges they are facing.
The Scottsdale Police Department assisted by securing the airport and documenting damage to the gate, hangar and aircraft. Phoenix police said airport operations were not affected by the incident.
The FBI also attended and is investigating the alleged trespass into what Phoenix police described as critical airport infrastructure. The inquiry remains ongoing.
