Rex Price was charged in late February with a felony count of criminal endangerment and a misdemeanor count of criminal trespass to property.

On Feb. 27, the Great Falls Police Department responded to the Great Falls International Airport around 9:30 a.m. for a report of a person on the runway.

When the officer arrived, airport security had Price in custody.

According to the charging documents, Price had jumped the airport fence and because he was on the runway, a Delta flight was unable to take off as scheduled.

His bond was set at $1,000.

As of March 6, Price was still being held in the Cascade County Adult Detention Center.

According to the responding GFPD officer’s affidavit, airport security had detained Price in their vehicle he arrived.

Price produced an Idaho identification and told the office that he had jumped the fence and run across the runway because the police were chasing him.

Lt. Doug Mahlum told The Electric that GFPD had not been looking for Price before the incident and were unaware of any other agencies looking for him.

John Faulkner, airport director, said that the issue was handled quickly.

He said that the incident delayed a Delta flight about 10 minutes while airport personnel secured the area.

Faulkner said staff were out plowing snow so they had people in the airfield so “it was a less of a disruption since we were in the field and it was easy to get eyes on.”

Faulkner said it’s likely happened before, but “in the more modern era of airport security since 9-11-01, which includes fencing, etc; no, this specific activity hasn’t happened here that I am aware of. People working in airfield areas have walked over controlled lines by accident, certainly, but not set out to cross the airfield.”

Faulkner said he wouldn’t comment on the full extent of security measures at the airport, but in this instance reports were made to law enforcement by more than one eyewitness who saw Price enter or cross restricted areas.