Australian man faces eight years in United States jail after attacking officer at LAX Airport

By PAUL SHAPIRO, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 03:57, 20 April 2026 | Updated: 04:01, 20 April 2026 An Aussie man is in custody in America after an alleged violent confrontation with a Transportation Security Administration officer at Los Angeles International Airport. Melbourne man Thomas Jesse Bingham, 35, has pleaded not guilty to a federal charge in the US after prosecutors alleged he violently confronted the LAX officer on March 15. Bingham allegedly assaulted the officer as he was preparing to board a flight. Bingham entered his plea late last week in the US Federal Court in Los Angeles after being charged with assault on a federal officer resulting in bodily injury. According to the US Department of Justice, Bingham mistakenly believed a TSA officer had taken his backpack and passport. It is alleged that Bingham approached the uniformed officer while he was in a bathroom and then followed him out. This is where the confrontation escalated. Prosecutors allege Bingham grabbed the officer's uniform, ripped off his identification lanyard, pulled his hair, and shoved him into a glass wall during the altercation. Melbourne man Thomas Jesse Bingham, 35, has pleaded not guilty to a federal charge in the US after prosecutors say he violently confronted the LAX officer on March 15 According to the US Department of Justice, Bingham was convinced a TSA officer had taken his backpack and passport The officer reported pain in his hand and back and sought medical evaluation. Airport police initially arrested Bingham, and officials later located his missing carry-on bag and passport at a restaurant in Terminal 7 that he had visited earlier. Bingham was released from custody but was taken into custody again at LAX as he attempted to board a flight to the United Kingdom. Bingham, who could spend up to eight years in jail if convicted, has a tentative trial on May 12. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.