PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A federal judge has dismissed a case against a homeless man accused of bypassing security at Portland International Airport.
The Oregonian/Oregon Live reports 30-year-old Badr Ziti, who was accused of entering the so-called “sterile area” of the airport, was acquitted of a misdemeanor charge on Friday.
Prosecutors say he violated the law when he ducked under the security cordons and avoided Transportation Security Administration officers checking tickets.
He was stopped in the baggage and screening area.
The judge said there’s no evidence Ziti entered an off-limits area.
Ziti said he was targeted because he’s Muslim.
Ziti didn’t address what he was doing at the airport without a ticket but said his memory was cloudy after sleeping at the Oregon airport and that he was “confused” when reached by TSA officers.
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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com
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