flydog
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2001
- Posts
- 542
Boca airport closed as 3 workers take late-night target practice
By Kevin Krause
Staff Writer
Posted November 22 2002
BOCA RATON -- It was a scary few moments for police early Thursday morning, when reports came in of rapid, steady gunfire coming from the Boca Raton Airport.
The airport and its access road were shut down, as more than two dozen deputies poured in with police dogs. The FBI, Transportation Security Administration and Federal Aviation Administration were notified so planes could be diverted. Multiple spent shell casings lay on a grassy area near the main runway.
Later, officers learned that more than 100 shots had been fired by an airport manager, an airport maintenance worker and the airport security boss. The men, police said, were getting in a little late-night target practice.
"At this time of heightened security and zero tolerance, that anyone would fire a weapon on airport grounds is bizarre," said Sheriff's Office spokesman Paul Miller.
Arrested and charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm were Donald Currie, 42, the airport's facilities manager; James Esco, 31, an independent contractor who provided airport maintenance; and Andrew Novotak, 53, owner of the company contracted to provide security at the airport. The men, all from Boca Raton, were booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on Thursday afternoon on the second-degree misdemeanor charges. Currie also was charged with drunken driving.
Esco and Novotak were fired Thursday by airport operator Boca Aviation. A new company, Navarro Group Ltd., was hired to provide 24-hour security at the airport. The company's vans arrived at 5 p.m. Owner Nick Navarro said his company provides security for the city of Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
The Airport Authority suspended Currie and launched an internal investigation.
Florida Atlantic University police reported hearing semiautomatic gunfire at 12:43 a.m. and thought it may have been coming from the campus. They eventually determined that it was coming from the nearby airport, at 3700 Airport Road.
"We heard in excess of 100 rounds of what sounded like high-powered rifle fire," Sgt. Michael Aguado said in his report. "We could hear the sounds of multiple rounds tearing through the trees in the wooded area, and we also heard numerous rounds ricochet. Some of the ricochets sounded like they passed over our location."
FAU police requested backup from the Sheriff's Office and Boca Raton Police Department. As deputies arrived to search the airport and set up a security perimeter, the gunfire continued, reports show. Airport Road was closed from Glades Road to Spanish River Boulevard while deputies searched from hangar to hangar with police dogs, Miller said.
The control tower was closed and no planes were taking off and landing at the time, he said. TSA spokeswoman Heather Rosenker said no planes were diverted during the time the airport was closed.
Boca Raton police found spent shell casings from a 9 mm handgun, shotgun and revolver near a grassy knoll on the west side of the runway, the area of the airport closest to Interstate 95, reports show.
Police continued to search the perimeter and the airport grounds for the next two and a half hours. Then, at 4:13 a.m., a 1999 Chrysler van driven by Currie was speeding down Airport Road when it came to a sudden stop, nearly colliding with Sheriff's Office cars that had their emergency lights on, the arrest report said. Currie was arrested on charges of drunken driving.
Deputies noticed an unloaded .357 Magnum revolver and an unloaded Mossberg model 88 shotgun on the rear seat behind Currie, reports show. Currie originally denied shooting the guns and said he was called to the airport from his house, the report said. He then admitted that he had been shooting with Novotak and Esco, according to the report.
Novotak, who carries a gun on the job, was stopped by deputies on the airport grounds, Miller said. Deputies searched his car and found a bullet clip loaded with 9mm rounds. They also found that he had a Derringer handgun. Esco was taken into custody after he tried to elude police dogs on the airport grounds, Miller said.
Currie showed deputies where they had been shooting, west of the runway and just north of hangar nine. He said they were target shooting away from the hangars toward a dirt berm, reports said. Boca Aviation officials said no property damage was reported.
The airport reopened at 6 a.m. The single-runway airport is equipped to handle corporate jets and small planes only.
Currie was hired by the Airport Authority in 1994 as airport superintendent. Prior to that, he was a supervisor for Boca Aviation for seven years. Airport Authority officials said his personnel file will not be available until next week.
Novotak's company, Novotak & Associates Inc., has provided around-the-clock security at the airport for a year and a half, police said. Novotak also is a private investigator.
Staff Writer Ryan Pastrovich contributed to this report.
Kevin Krause can be reached at [email protected] or 561-243-6604.
Copyright © 2002, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
By Kevin Krause
Staff Writer
Posted November 22 2002
BOCA RATON -- It was a scary few moments for police early Thursday morning, when reports came in of rapid, steady gunfire coming from the Boca Raton Airport.
The airport and its access road were shut down, as more than two dozen deputies poured in with police dogs. The FBI, Transportation Security Administration and Federal Aviation Administration were notified so planes could be diverted. Multiple spent shell casings lay on a grassy area near the main runway.
Later, officers learned that more than 100 shots had been fired by an airport manager, an airport maintenance worker and the airport security boss. The men, police said, were getting in a little late-night target practice.
"At this time of heightened security and zero tolerance, that anyone would fire a weapon on airport grounds is bizarre," said Sheriff's Office spokesman Paul Miller.
Arrested and charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm were Donald Currie, 42, the airport's facilities manager; James Esco, 31, an independent contractor who provided airport maintenance; and Andrew Novotak, 53, owner of the company contracted to provide security at the airport. The men, all from Boca Raton, were booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on Thursday afternoon on the second-degree misdemeanor charges. Currie also was charged with drunken driving.
Esco and Novotak were fired Thursday by airport operator Boca Aviation. A new company, Navarro Group Ltd., was hired to provide 24-hour security at the airport. The company's vans arrived at 5 p.m. Owner Nick Navarro said his company provides security for the city of Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
The Airport Authority suspended Currie and launched an internal investigation.
Florida Atlantic University police reported hearing semiautomatic gunfire at 12:43 a.m. and thought it may have been coming from the campus. They eventually determined that it was coming from the nearby airport, at 3700 Airport Road.
"We heard in excess of 100 rounds of what sounded like high-powered rifle fire," Sgt. Michael Aguado said in his report. "We could hear the sounds of multiple rounds tearing through the trees in the wooded area, and we also heard numerous rounds ricochet. Some of the ricochets sounded like they passed over our location."
FAU police requested backup from the Sheriff's Office and Boca Raton Police Department. As deputies arrived to search the airport and set up a security perimeter, the gunfire continued, reports show. Airport Road was closed from Glades Road to Spanish River Boulevard while deputies searched from hangar to hangar with police dogs, Miller said.
The control tower was closed and no planes were taking off and landing at the time, he said. TSA spokeswoman Heather Rosenker said no planes were diverted during the time the airport was closed.
Boca Raton police found spent shell casings from a 9 mm handgun, shotgun and revolver near a grassy knoll on the west side of the runway, the area of the airport closest to Interstate 95, reports show.
Police continued to search the perimeter and the airport grounds for the next two and a half hours. Then, at 4:13 a.m., a 1999 Chrysler van driven by Currie was speeding down Airport Road when it came to a sudden stop, nearly colliding with Sheriff's Office cars that had their emergency lights on, the arrest report said. Currie was arrested on charges of drunken driving.
Deputies noticed an unloaded .357 Magnum revolver and an unloaded Mossberg model 88 shotgun on the rear seat behind Currie, reports show. Currie originally denied shooting the guns and said he was called to the airport from his house, the report said. He then admitted that he had been shooting with Novotak and Esco, according to the report.
Novotak, who carries a gun on the job, was stopped by deputies on the airport grounds, Miller said. Deputies searched his car and found a bullet clip loaded with 9mm rounds. They also found that he had a Derringer handgun. Esco was taken into custody after he tried to elude police dogs on the airport grounds, Miller said.
Currie showed deputies where they had been shooting, west of the runway and just north of hangar nine. He said they were target shooting away from the hangars toward a dirt berm, reports said. Boca Aviation officials said no property damage was reported.
The airport reopened at 6 a.m. The single-runway airport is equipped to handle corporate jets and small planes only.
Currie was hired by the Airport Authority in 1994 as airport superintendent. Prior to that, he was a supervisor for Boca Aviation for seven years. Airport Authority officials said his personnel file will not be available until next week.
Novotak's company, Novotak & Associates Inc., has provided around-the-clock security at the airport for a year and a half, police said. Novotak also is a private investigator.
Staff Writer Ryan Pastrovich contributed to this report.
Kevin Krause can be reached at [email protected] or 561-243-6604.
Copyright © 2002, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
