NFL star Aldon Smith was arrested Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport after claiming he had a bomb during a security screening, airport police said.
Smith, 24, made the threat after he was randomly selected for a second screening at about 2 p.m. as he went through the TSA checkpoint for Terminal 1.
“The suspect then became belligerent and uncooperative with the process and with the TSA agent,” Sgt. Karla Ortiz said in a statement from LAX.
Incredibly, that belligerent behavior culminated in Smith “making a comment indicating that he was in possession of a bomb before proceeding toward the gate area.”
It’s unclear whether the San Francisco 49ers linebacker had been drinking alcohol, but it was “not relevant or a factor for his arrest and booking,” Ortiz said.
Smith was transported to the Los Angeles Police Department, where he was booked on felony charges of making a false report of a bomb threat.
He was released just after 7 p.m. after posting $20,000 bail.
The arrest was the latest in a string for Aldon Smith, following a September 2013 bust for DUI. He was arrested on the same charge in January 2012.
One of the Niners’ all-time best pass rushers, Smith also faces three felony weapons charges stemming from a party at his house back in June 2012.
On that occasion, he reportedly fired a gun into the air and was stabbed while two others were shot. He pleaded not guilty to the weapons charges.
In November, following a five-week stint in rehab for a substance abuse problem, Smith vowed to make sure he stayed out of trouble off the football field.
The incident added to a string of 49ers offseason woes.
Superstar quarterback Colin Kaepernick was investigated as part of a police probe this month regarding a suspicious incident involving a woman.
Kaepernick denied involvement in any sexual assault.
Friday, cornerback Chris Culliver pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges related to a March hit-and-run incident involving a bicyclist and another car.
He also faces a charge of possessing brass knuckles.