A packed flight out of Florida was forced to have its plane make an emergency landing after a recently released psychiatric patient announced that his laptop was a bomb midair.
27-year-old Taj Malik Taylor was onboard Allegiant Air flight 1023 out of St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport in Florida to Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport in Virginia with 177 passengers and six crew members late Sunday afternoon.
During the flight, the psychiatric patient made the heart-wrenching comments that led to the emergency landing, said the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
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Nearly an hour into the flight, Taylor allegedly told his seatmate, “I have a bomb,” at least two times.
Asked by the passenger why he would make such a serious claim, Taylor allegedly showed them his laptop and said: “My laptop is a bomb,” according to an FBI affidavit obtained by USA Today.
Right after that exchange, Taylor’s frightened seatmate immediately informed the flight attendants of the psychiatric patient’s threats, leading the pilot to turn the plane around and make an emergency landing back in St. Pete-Clearwater about 40 minutes after takeoff.
Upon landing, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Officers were waiting for the plane after responding to a call of a “verbal bomb threat.”
“Detectives say several other witnesses on the plane also heard Taylor state that he had a bomb,” police said.
Around 2 p.m, cops boarded the plane and arrested Taylor, with a K-9 unit searching his belongings.
He was removed from the Allegiant flight, and the plane took off again and arrived at Roanoke at around 7:57 p.m.
“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 was slapped with felony charges of making threats and false information in the first degree and was released into the custody of the US Marshals on Monday, arrest records show.
According to the Sheriff’s office, the FBI is now leading the investigation. On Monday afternoon in the Tampa federal court, Taylor made his initial appearance.
“Taylor did not admit to making the bomb threats but stated that [the woman sitting next to him aboard the flight] was rude to him”, said an FBI affidavit.
“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 reportedly told investigators that “he has more clarity when he takes his medication.” According to The Post, Taylor is a former high school football star in Largo, Florida, who suffered a severe Grade 3 concussion during his sophomore year in 2013.
The hit was so strong that it led him to lose consciousness for over 10 minutes.
Taylor also alleges that he is a US Air Force veteran and is currently a seminary student at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, per Daily Mail.
The psychiatric patient faces a fine of up to $25,000, a prison sentence of up to five years, or both if convicted of making a false bomb threat on the plane.
