Parts of Sky Harbor Airport have reopened after being shut down as police investigated a suspicious item found at Terminal 4, and one man was taken into custody because of it.
Airport officials tweeted that the east end of Levels 1-3 at Terminal 4 were closed. The Level 2 ticket counters were also closed. By 5:30 p.m. the closure was lifted as the suspicious package was cleared, according to officials.
Viewers told ABC15 there was a huge police presence at the airport and that it appeared to them that departure ramps were shut down. It is unclear at this time if any flights were affected.
This is level 3 at #SkyHarbor. Nobody is allowed to go back down to levels 2 or 1 so we're essentially stuck here. pic.twitter.com/u76XalFf6R
— Chierstin Susel (@ChierstinSusel) July 7, 2017
Police arrested a 61-year-old John Nichols after he said things at a ticket counter that made a worker uncomfortable. Officials said the worked informed other airport employees after the man left a briefcase behind.
The briefcase was inspected and did not pose a threat.
Heather Lissner, with the City of Phoenix Aviation Department, said passengers were moved to the west side of the terminal as police investigated. All TSA security checkpoints did remain open. Normal operations at the airport did resume shortly after the briefcase was cleared.
