A 35-year-old Australian man has been arrested on a federal charge alleging he assaulted a Transportation Security Administration officer at Los Angeles International Airport, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
Thomas Jesse Bingham, of Melbourne, Australia, was arrested Monday at LAX and charged with assault on a federal officer.
According to papers filed in Los Angeles federal court, an on-duty, uniformed TSA officer Sunday was leaving a restroom located in the sterile area connector between Terminals 6 and 7 at LAX. Upon exiting, Bingham — who was then booked on a flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas — approached the officer and accused him of taking his backpack and passport, prosecutors allege.
Bingham allegedly then forcibly assaulted the officer by grabbing his uniform, pulling the officer’s TSA identification lanyard off his neck, grabbing and pulling the victim’s hair, and pushing him into a glass wall.
The victim later reported experiencing pain in his hand and back and sought medical evaluation.
Airport police arrested Bingham, whose carry-on bag and passport were later located at a restaurant in Terminal 7 that he previously visited, according to the Justice Department.
Bingham later was released from custody and on Monday was arrested at LAX prior to boarding a flight to the United Kingdom.
If convicted, Bingham could face up to eight years in federal prison, prosecutors noted.
The defendant was expected to make his initial appearance in court Tuesday.