Remember back in August of last year, when 48-year-old carjacker Michael Browne led police on a slow ride through Dallas before landing on the Love Field Airport runway? Sure you do. Passed right by Unfair Park HQ, matter of fact. Then, in November of last year, a federal grand jury indicted Browne on one count of "interfering with security screening personnel." Browne, who has a laundry list of crimes to his credit, eventually pleaded guilty. Probably thought it would do him some good. No, not so much.
Your memory now sufficiently jogged, we now bring you the latest update from the U.S. Attorney's Office: U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn just sentenced Browne to 270 months in federal prison. From the release, this refresher:
According to plea documents filed in the case, on August 19, 2010, officers with the Dallas Police Department encountered Browne as they were conducting surveillance at an apartment complex in North Dallas. When they ran the license plate of the truck Browne was driving, they determined that it had been reported stolen the previous day. Officers followed Browne from the apartment complex and marked units attempted to stop him, but after initially slowing down, Browne led police on a chase through Dallas. Eventually, with several police vehicles in pursuit, Browne drove the truck into the Love Field Airport entrance. He then turned at a traffic light within the airport and drove past the Love Field police station.Lynn, of course, isn't one to dish out light sentences.
As the truck and the police cars approached the security guard building at the gate leading into the secured area of the airport, as routine, a security guard exited the building to check the identification of personnel coming through the gate. This particular gate was one that was routinely used by emergency personnel and vehicles, such as ambulances and police vehicles, coming into the airport, and when the guard heard the approaching sirens, she believed that authorized personnel were approaching the gate on official business. However, when the guard saw the approaching vehicles, she froze for a moment and her co-worker pulled her back into the guard building -- preventing her from being struck by the truck Browne was driving as it crashed through the gate and drove into the secured area of the airport.
