Australian man Thomas Jesse Bingham arrested at Los Angeles International Airport, charged with assaulting TSA officer

An Australian has been arrested and will face court in the US after allegedly assaulting a federal agent at Los Angeles International Airport. In a statement, the US Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California said the Melbourne man – identified as 35-year-old Thomas Jesse Bingham – was charged with assault on a federal officer following an alleged incident at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Monday. The Justice Department alleges Mr Bingham approached an on-duty uniformed Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer as he was leaving a rest room. “Upon exiting, Bingham – who was then booked on a flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas – approached the victim and accused him of taking his backpack and passport,” the Justice Department alleges. “Bingham then (allegedly) forcibly assaulted the victim by grabbing the victim’s uniform, pulling the victim’s TSA identification lanyard off his neck, grabbing and pulling the victim’s hair, and pushing him into a glass wall.” The officer reported experiencing pain in his hand and back and sought medical attention. Mr Bingham was arrested by airport police and his bag and passport were later located at a restaurant in the airport. He is due to appear in the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. In the statement, the Justice Department said Mr Bingham was later released from custody but was then arrested at LAX attempting to board a flight to the United Kingdom. “TSA Office of Law Enforcement / Investigations is investigating this matter with assistance from the Los Angeles Airport Police,” the statement continues.