A flight from Florida to Virginia was forced to make an emergency landing after a passenger sparked panic by claiming his laptop was a bomb, according to USA Today.
The man identified as Taj Malik Taylor, 27 was on Allegiant Air flight 1023 on Sunday. The flight had left St Pete-Clearwater International Airport in Florida and was heading to Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport in Virginia with 177 passengers and six crew members on board, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
About 40 minutes after takeoff, Taylor allegedly told the person next to him twice, “I have a bomb,” and then pointed to his laptop saying, “My laptop is a bomb,” according to FBI affidavit obtained by USA Today.
His seat mate quickly told the flight attendants. The pilot decided to return to Florida airport immediately.
Police and FBI agents were waiting after responding to a call of a “verbal bomb threat.”. Taylor was arrested and his belongings were checked by a K-9 unit. No bomb was found.
According to police, several other passengers also heard Taylor say he had a bomb.
The plane took off again after Taylor was removed and safely arrived in Roanoke later that evening.
An Allegiant Air spokesperson said they do not tolerate any disruptive behavior and safety was their top priority.
“Allegiant does not tolerate disruptive behavior of any kind, so the decision was made to return to the airport,” an Allegiant Air spokesperson told USA Today.
“The plane landed safely and was met by law enforcement officers, who took the passenger into custody.”
Taylor now faces serious charges for making a false bomb threat. He appeared in federal court in Tampa on Monday. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $25,000, or both.
According to the FBI affidavit, Taylor did not admit to making the bomb threat but said the woman next to him was rude. He also told investigators that he had recently been released from a mental health facility and was struggling with “a lack of clarity” because of his condition and medication.
“Taylor stated that he was recently released from a mental health facility. He stated that he took his medication last night and that he was currently suffering from a lack of clarity,” the affidavit said.
He also told investigators that “he has more clarity when he takes his medication.”
Taylor is a former high school football player from Largo, Florida. He reportedly suffered a severe concussion in 2013 that caused him to lose consciousness for over 10 minutes, as per the outlet.
He also claims to be a US Air Force veteran and is currently studying at a seminary in Virginia, according to the Daily Mail.
As noted by the sheriff's office, the FBI is currently leading the investigation of the matter.
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