A Connecticut man was caught allegedly trying to bring a razor-sharp “knuckle-knife” through the LaGuardia Airport checkpoint, according to the TSA. Photo courtesy the TSA
Would-be airline passengers learned all kinds of valuable lessons on April 16 – including that security officers frown upon people trying to bring a nine-inch “knuckle knife” onto a plane.
Richard Johnson, 49, of Easton, Conn., was arrested after he allegedly did just that at LaGuardia Airport, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
His arrest came on the same day that another passenger – this one at JFK International Airport – allegedly attempted to bring a loaded firearm and cat-shaped brass knuckles onto a flight bound for Los Angeles. Johnson was headed to Raleigh, North Carolina before he was nabbed for allegedly trying to get the weapon past security – but a TSA officer detected it as it passed through the checkpoint X-ray machine, according to federal officials.
A TSA supervisor notified the Port Authority Police, who confiscated the weapon and arrested the Connecticut man on a state weapons charge.
LaGuardia Airport sees approximately 40,000 passengers travel through security checkpoints on an average weekday.
“Our officers are well-trained to detect prohibited items that individuals may be traveling with,” TSA Federal Security Director Dan Ronan said.
While it seems somewhat obvious to point out, passengers are urged not to bring their collection of brass knuckles, knives, or knuckle-knife combinations – unless they’re hoping for a spot in the nearest jail.
TSA has a free downloadable app called “MyTSA” that has a handy feature allowing passengers to ask if they can bring a certain item. So, for example, say a passenger puts in “brass knuckles,” or “knuckle-knife,” it will handily tell you that, no, those items are indeed not to be brought on an airplane, shockingly enough.
By Anna Gustafson
