A 35-year-old Australian man has been charged with assaulting a TSA officer at Los Angeles International Airport after falsely accusing the agent of stealing his bag and passport.
Thomas Jesse Bingham, from Melbourne, was changing planes en route to Las Vegas when he allegedly attacked the uniformed officer as they emerged from a restroom between Terminals 6 and 7, according to the US Department of Justice.
The DOJ said Bingham approached the agent, accused him of taking his backpack and passport, and then forcibly assaulted him by grabbing his uniform, pulling off his TSA identification lanyard, yanking his hair, and pushing him into a glass wall. The agent regained control and forced Bingham to the ground.
Airport police later found Bingham's carry-on bag and passport at a restaurant in Terminal 7 that he had visited earlier. He has been charged with assault on a federal officer. The TSA officer reported pain in his hand and back and sought medical treatment.
Bingham was initially released but was rearrested at LAX on Monday while boarding a flight to the UK. He is due to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Tuesday and faces up to eight years in prison if convicted.
