Airports and Security

Atlanta police say a 32-year-old passenger, Johannes Van Heertum, allegedly opened a KLM jet’s emergency exit and deployed the slide while the Amsterdam-bound Flight 622 was taxiing Tuesday at Hartsfield-Jackson, forcing the aircraft to return to the gate and cancel the flight. APD says the suspect had called 911 from onboard claiming another traveler had a weapon; no weapon was found. He was evaluated by EMTs, arrested, and charged with reckless conduct, criminal damage to property, and interfering with security measures, then booked into the Clayton County Jail as APD’s Homeland Security Unit was notified.