San Francisco 49ers player Aldon Smith was arrested for making a bomb threat at Los Angeles Airport on Sunday. Smith was reportedly uncooperative during a bag search and told the TSA that he had a bomb in his bag.
Smith was arrested at around 2 p.m. for charges of "false report of a bomb." The charge can carry a penalty of up to one year in jail. Smith was released after posting $20,000 bail, the Daily Mail reports.
Police say that Smith was belligerent during the search at the Terminal 1 security line. He was randomly picked for additional screening.
In footage posted online the 6ft 4in linebacker can be seen speaking with officers before being lead away, telling them he'd done nothing wrong and saying they would be 'embarrassed'.
Smith was arrested around 2pm and booked on one count of 'false report of a bomb', a charge which carries a penalty of up to one year behind bars. He has been released after posting $20,000 bail.
According to a police statement Smith became 'belligerent' while waiting on a Terminal 1 security line and was randomly picked for a second screening.
"At approximately 1400 hrs, a 25-year-old male resident of San Jose, California, was going through Terminal 1 screening and was randomly selected for a secondary screening," Sgt. Karla Ortiz said according to the Daily Mail.
'The suspect then became belligerent and uncooperative with the process and with the TSA agent, making a comment indicating that he was in possession of a bomb before proceeding towards the gate area. Los Angeles Airport Police made contact with him at the gate and he was positively identified as the person in question. Once again the male subject became uncooperative and he was detained and taken into custody by Airport Police and is currently being transported to LAPD for booking," Sgt. Karla Ortiz added.
An eyewitness John Egan, told the San Jose Mercury News that Smith appeared annoyed.
"I heard him say, 'I did nothing wrong,' Egan said. 'The whole thing ratcheted up from there. The cops were trying to calm him down. He wasn't out of control; just agitated."
Trent Baalke, the general manager of the 49ers released a statement about his disappointment in the player.
"We are disappointed to learn of the incident today involving Aldon Smith," Baalke said. "As this is a pending legal matter and we are still gathering the pertinent facts, we will have no further comment."
This is just one of many runins that Smith has had with the law. He received three charges of illegal firearms at his home during a party in 2012m to which he pleaded not guilty in 2013. However Smith was allegedly stabbed during the party and two others were shot. Smith was also arrested twice of DUI since 2012 and spent five weeks at a treatment center in the fall, causing him to miss five games. After this latest incident, some fans say Smith should be removed from the team.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
