A 35-year-old Australian man is set to be arraigned Thursday on a federal charge alleging he attacked a Transportation Security Administration officer at LAX.
Thomas Bingham, of Melbourne, Australia, approached the on-duty, uniformed TSA agent on March 15 while the officer was in the restroom, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Bingham accused the agent of taking his backpack and passport before his flight to Las Vegas, court papers show.
He followed the agent out of the bathroom before attacking him, the DOJ contends.
Bingham allegedly grabbed the TSA agent’s uniform, pulling the officer’s 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 DOJ.
Bingham was released from custody but was later 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.
Bingham is expected to enter a not guilty plea Thursday in L.A. federal court to a charge of assault on a federal officer.
This guy ought to banned from entering the U.S. again. He left his backpack with passport in a restaurant yet attacked a TSA agent who never touched it. This Australian has mental/emotional problems.