Four passenger screening workers who allowed a man carrying knives and a stun gun through a security check point at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport have been fired, officials said today.
The weekend incident - which followed disagreement in Congress over whether such workers should be made federal government employees - added to continuing questions about airport security after the September 11 attacks.
The Chicago Department of Aviation said four workers were fired and five others, including a supervisor, were suspended. They worked for Atlanta-based Argenbright Security Inc., which operates the screening systems for United Airlines at O'Hare and is the largest such US contractor.
The 27-year-old Nepalese man caught with the weapons was arrested on Saturday before he could board a United flight to Omaha, Nebraska. He was charged with three misdemeanor counts involving weapons possession and was released on bond.
But he was detained again yesterday by federal authorities and was due in court today to face federal charges in the same case, the US Attorney's Office in Chicago said.
The man claimed he had the stun gun because he was living alone and was totally insecure. He was stopped at the security check point after two pocket knives were found on him. Police were called but he was allowed to continue on to the gate and those monitoring X-ray equipment failed to detect several other knives, a stun gun and a spray can of mace in his carry-on luggage, police said.
When United employees conducted a further check of his carry-on bag at the gate, the other weapons were found.