Shot TSA Agent May Have Been Left Unattended for Long Time

The president of the American Federation of Government Employees today said he was "appalled" about reports that a Transportation Security Administration officer was left unattended for more than a half hour after being shot at Los Angeles International airport.

TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez died at a hospital of wounds he suffered on Nov. 1 at the airport. His alleged assailant, 23-year-old Paul Ciancia, was wounded and was taken into custody.

AFGE spokesman Tim Kauffman said the statement by AFGE President J. David Cox was issued "in response to recent revelations that late Transportation Security Administration Officer Gerardo Hernandez was left unattended for 33 minutes after being shot."

"I am appalled that Officer Hernandez was left unattended for 33 minutes after the brutal attack he suffered. In the heat of the moment there will always be an element of confusion, but 33 minutes is absolutely unacceptable," Cox said. "If someone had gotten to him earlier, this could have been a survival story. Instead a wife is left without a husband, children without a father and coworkers without one of their beloved comrades.

"We need a serious reexamination of TSA's screening area security policies to stop the next tragedy before it happens," Cox said. "The inconsistent patchwork of local law enforcement and security protocols simply won't get the job done. We need a dedicated TSA law enforcement unit tasked with protecting Transportation Security officers and the flying public around our vulnerable screening areas. An immediate threat requires an immediate response and we cannot afford to be taken off-guard again."

-- City News Sevice