A guard whose failure to see a man bypass Newark airport security led to major delays is being described by his union as a "model employee."
A person with direct knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press on Friday that the Transportation Security Administration worker is Ruben Hernandez of Newark. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation isn't over.
The American Federation of Government Employees is representing the officer but has declined to publicly identify him.
The union's Derrick Thomas says the officer previously received a commendation for job performance. He says the union is reviewing reports that the officer was called from his post to investigate a disturbance.
An unidentified man slipped past the checkpoint and joined a woman who was already in a secure area. The problem shut down part of the airport for six hours.
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