New details obtained from a public records request related to a high-profile detention of a traveler at San Francisco International Airport reveal a surprising incident that happened one day before.
According to SFO, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent left his gun in a public restroom.
Public records obtained from SFO disclose a July 22 incident involving an ICE agent leaving his gun in a public restroom inside Terminal 2.
In details provided by an airport spokesperson, a flight attendant entered the men’s restroom post-security and found an unattended gun in one of the stalls. That flight attendant reported it to the security checkpoint staff, who closed the restroom and called 911.
The airport spokesperson tells NBC Bay Area the San Francisco police showed up at the restroom in Terminal 2 within 5 minutes, and were there when the ICE agent returns to retrieve the gun.
So far, the airport spokesperson has not shared any further information about how long the unsecured gun was in the men’s restroom until police arrived.
Airport staff reported the incident to the Transportation Security Administration, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security. NBC Bay Area reached out to the DHS for further comment, but did not receive a response Wednesday.
A day after the incident involving the ICE agent’s gun, federal agents detained Iryna Gorb in Terminal 1.
Newly released video from SFO shows Gorb exiting her plane at Gate B8 with a man starting to follow her. In another angle, video shows that man pulling her toward him. Gorb in the video tries to pull away, while a second man stays nearby and watches.
When the men take Gorb to the ground, bystanders being recording and start asking what is happening as she cries out for help.
Some people also called 911 when it was unclear what was going on.
According to police dispatch audio, witnesses said they though a passenger might be attacking another passenger. Officers quickly confirmed it was an ICE operation by calling the agency directly.
DHS said Gorb was detained because she overstayed her visa. She remains in ICE custody at a detention facility in a California city. Gorb’s friends continue to keep in touch with her and said it is not easy.
“It’s constantly difficult to keep in touch,” said Andy Ebiln, Gorb’s friend. “Systems don’t work the way they should. We’ve had scheduled visits that we were told later were not processed correctly.”
Gorb’s friends at Hedge Coffee in San Francisco are planning a fundraiser for her next month.
According to information from attorneys who track ICE detentions, Gorb is one of three people detained at SFO this year.