The fact that a handcuffed soldier suspected of being AWOL escaped from federal authorities at Denver International Airport and then could not be found doesn’t mean security procedures are lax, an airport spokesman said Thursday.
“Obviously, the place is crawling with security,” said Jeff Green, a spokesman for DIA. “We have security pretty much everywhere.”
Denver police have said that Terrance Hilton, 20, was being transferred from Salt Lake City to Colorado Springs when he escaped from his escort at the airport Wednesday.
Hilton, who was last seen wearing a dark hoodie, black shorts, tennis shoes — and a waistbelt with handcuffs — remained at large late Thursday. Hilton, of Grand Junction, is a private in the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Secure areas in the airport require badges to gain access, Green said. The Transportation Security Administration and Denver police provide security.
With 145,000 people flowing through the airport on a daily basis, it’s likely Hilton ended up blending into the crowd, Green said.
“It’s a big airport,” he said.
Christopher N. Osher, The Denver Post
