A Maryland man was arrested after telling a federal officer “I got bombs” at an airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to authorities. He then said he was “just joking” and tried to walk away to board his flight.
The incident happened at about 8:20 p.m. on Tuesday inside Terminal 4 near gate G5 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, WPLG reported, citing a Broward Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
Michael Ryan Knight, 31, of Westminster, Maryland, approached a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer and made the comments, according to the report. The officer stopped him when he tried to leave.
A responding deputy detained the suspect, who said he had consumed four alcoholic beverages inside the terminal while waiting for his flight.
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The CBP officer told deputies he had seen the suspect before the incident and believed he was “extremely intoxicated.” The officer described him as dancing throughout the terminal and “not exhibiting normal behavior,” according to the report cited by WPLG.
Broward County jail records show the suspect faces charges of making a false report involving a bomb, explosive or weapon of mass destruction, and disorderly intoxication.
The booking record lists him at the county’s Main Jail, with bond set at $25,000 on the false-report charge and $500 on the intoxication charge.