Street racing suspect rams Scottsdale Airport gate, hits small airplane, police say

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Two people were arrested after police said they crashed into a security gate at the Scottsdale Airport, hit a small plane, and ran from officers across the runway on Saturday night.

What we know:

At 11 p.m. on Oct. 17, Phoenix Police tried pulling over a vehicle connected to an "unlawful street racing group." When the driver refused to stop for officers, the Air Unit responded for additional surveillance, as they entered Scottsdale city limits.

The Air Unit noticed the vehicle had come to a stop at Scottsdale's Airport locked security gate, but officers were not pursuing the driver on the ground. Officers said they only tried to stop the vehicle once it pulled up at the locked security gate. 

"Fortunately, we have the support of the air unit, our air support unit that came overhead and was able to participate in surveillance," Sgt. Chris Berrelleza with Phoenix PD said. "Another measure that those detectives took, they were able to successfully launch a GPS tracking device onto the back bumper of that vehicle so we could safely monitor where that vehicle was going."

When police attempted the vehicle stop, the driver put the car in reverse and slammed into a detective's vehicle. The driver then plows forward, damaging the security gate and driving onto the active runway. They then hit a wall and an unoccupied small plane, according to Phoenix PD. 

Air traffic control (ATC) audio captured the warning to pilots: "There appears to be a police helicopter orbiting right over Scottsdale airport. He said there was a police chase that ended up on the airfield."

Dig deeper:

Two people, identified later as 33-year-old Liberty Dawn Still and 24-year-old Michael Gregory Wall, took off from their car and towards the airport's tarmac. Police deployed a Taser as Wall resisted officers.

"Flexjet 302 the suspect, is in the custody, and they are checking to verify that the runway is actually not obstructed," ATC said. 

Both Still and Wall were taken into custody and booked on felony charges.

"It’s an active runway, so the potential danger of what could happen? Who knows… It can be potentially catastrophic. Fortunately, these officers and detectives were able to take these people in custody," Sgt. Berrelleza said.

What we don't know:

The exact charges the suspects face are unknown. 

What's next:

Scottsdale Police responded to help with the damaged property at the airport, while police said the FBI responded to investigate the suspect's trespassing onto the "critical infrastructure of the airport."

Map of the Scottsdale Airport. 

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