LAX Terminal Evacuated In Security Scare

A routine traffic stop outside Terminal 3 at Los Angeles Airport led to a terminal evacuation and delays to 18 flights on Sunday.

LAX airport police stopped a vehicle outside Terminal 3 and a man was arrested and charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of methamphetamines.

During the stop, police moved pedestrians back into the terminal’s baggage claim area for safety reasons.

The move caused concern and some people to bypass security and enter the sterile airside area. Others used an emergency exit to leave the terminal and out onto the airfield.

As a result, the terminal was cleared, searched and between 1,500 and 2,000 passengers rescreened, according to an airport statement.

A total of 18 flights, nine arriving and nine departing, were delayed at Terminal 3 as a result of the incident.

The incident came just a few days after another evacuation at LAX, when reports of gunshots caused panic. That incident turned out to be a false alarm.