Australian man arrested for ‘forcibly assaulting’ TSA agent in bizarre LAX Airport outburst

An Australian traveler, Thomas Jesse Bingham, 35, is charged with assaulting a TSA agent at Los Angeles International Airport.

Published on: Mar 18, 2026, 16:41:34 IST

By Shweta Kukreti

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An Australian traveler named Thomas Jesse Bingham, 35, is charged with a strange and violent outburst at Los Angeles International Airport. He allegedly grabbed a TSA agent's uniform, tore off his ID badge, pulled his hair, and pushed him into a glass partition. This incident took place on March 18, 2026, at Los Angeles International Airport.

The Department of Justice has published this image, allegedly showing Thomas Bingham attacking the TSA agent at LAX. (DOJ)

The brawl started when Bingham was unable to locate his backpack and travel documents, leading him to mistakenly accuse the TSA agent of theft.

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TSA officer assaulted at Los Angeles International Airport

According to the complaint and affidavit, on March 15, the victim – a uniformed TSA officer on duty – was exiting a restroom situated 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 victim and accused him of taking his backpack and passport. Bingham then 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,” US Attorney's Office said in a press release.

Prosecutors state that Bingham was planning to travel to Las Vegas at the time of the incident.

Aussie traveler arrested as TSA officer sustained injuries

According to officials, Bingham was first apprehended and then re-arrested before trying to board a flight to the United Kingdom.

The agent sustained injuries in hand and back and required medical evaluation.

Bingham is confronted with a federal accusation of assaulting a federal officer, If convicted, he would face a maximum sentence of 8 years in prison. He is presently in custody and is awaiting trial.

The TSA Office of Law Enforcement and Investigations is currently probing the matter with support from the Los Angeles Airport Police.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shweta Kukreti
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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