UPDATE: The man who drove through the Springfield Airport gate and onto a runway has been identified.

Gary Edwards, 58, was charged with damaging and interfering with an air navigation facility in an indictment returned by the grand jury on Tuesday, October 10.

Airport police arrested Edwards following a short pursuit after he rammed an airport gate while driving a gold Ford F-150 pickup truck.

The press release states an airport police officer activated his emergency lights and siren and attempted to stop Edwards. However, Edwards refused to stop and drove onto the tarmac and runway of the airport, then drove back through the damaged gate as he fled from the officer.

Airport police officers pursued Edwards as he drove over several curbs before stopping in front of the terminal building. Edwards ran into the building and was taken into custody.

Original Story

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Law enforcement arrested a man after pursuing him across the Springfield-Branson National Airport.

Kent Boyd, public information officer for the airport, said the incident happened around 10:15 a.m. on Oct. 8. A witness told airport police they’d seen a man standing near his truck, hitting the ground with what the witness believed was a machete.

The Springfield Police Department and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office were called to the airport, and when officers approached the man, he got in his truck and fled across airport property.

Boyd said the man rammed through a gate and ended up on the airfield during the pursuit.

The man drove back to the main passenger terminal, parked his truck and got out. He ran into the terminal and was arrested shortly after by airport police.

This was the third time airport police had made contact with the man in the last couple of weeks, according to Boyd.

No one was injured during the incident and there was no impact on flights or flight schedules.