Man suspected of causing airport panic arrested twice in 24 hours

A man who police and court records indicate is suspected of causing a panic Sunday at Harry Reid International Airport by making a loud noise was arrested twice at the airport in less than 24 hours.

Stefan Hutchison, 33, was first arrested at Harry Reid on Saturday morning.

According to Las Vegas police spokesman Larry Hadfield and Las Vegas Justice Court records, Hutchison was taken into custody on misdemeanor counts of public conduct at an airport and resisting a public officer. The arrest occurred as police investigated a possible security breach at the airport, Hadfield said.

Court records show that Hutchison appeared in Justice Court later Saturday and was released on his own recognizance.

On Sunday at 4:35 a.m., Hutchison was arrested again at Harry Reid — this time on a single count of burglary of a business.

Police said a loud noise caused by an unruly individual started a chaotic series of events when travelers mistakenly believed the noise was a gunshot. People fleeing from the noise scrambled through security checkpoints, an airport spokesman said. With security breached, Transportation Safety Administration officers had to rescreen travelers they already had checked.

This, in turn, led to long lines, extensive flight delays and missed flights for many.

Police have not released further information on what exactly caused the loud noise or why they believe Hutchison was involved in the episode.

Hutchison, who is being held at the Clark County Detention Center, was scheduled for an initial appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court early Monday but did not show up. His next court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.