49ers’ Aldon Smith arrested at LAX after alleged bomb comment

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday after he allegedly became argumentative with a screening agent and made comments suggesting he had a bomb, police said.

Aldon Jacarus Ramon Smith, 24, was transported to Los Angeles Police Department’s Pacific Division on the Westside, where he was booked on suspicion of making a false report of a bomb threat.

Smith was randomly selected for a secondary screening about 2 p.m. at Terminal 1 when he “became belligerent and uncooperative with the process,” said airport police Sgt. Karla Ortiz.

Smith then made a comment to the Transportation Security Administration agent “indicating he was in possession of a bomb before proceeding towards the gate area,” Ortiz said.

Airport police later caught up with Smith at the gate, where he allegedly became uncooperative with police and was then detained, Ortiz said.

In a statement, 49ers General Manager Trent Baalke said, “We are disappointed to learn of the incident today involving Aldon Smith.

“As this is a pending legal matter and we are still gathering the pertinent facts, we will have no further comment,” he said.

Smith has been a key player in the 49ers defense, and set a team record with 19 1/2 sacks during the 2012 season.

He spent some time off the playing field after he was arrested in September on suspicion of driving under the influence and possessing marijuana. He apologized to the football team, saying “this is a problem and it’s something that I will get fixed, and that I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that this never happens again.”

In October, Smith was charged with three felony counts of illegal possession of assault rifles stemming from a raucous party at his San Jose home in June 2012.

According to prosecutors, a group of suspected gang members joined the party and got into a confrontation with other guests. Someone fired a gun in Smith’s garage and Smith fired two shots from his .45-caliber handgun to disperse the crowd, authorities claim.

Sheriff’s deputies later searched Smith’s home as part of their investigation into the shooting. They reported finding five guns, including an AR-10 rifle and two Bushmaster rifles, during two separate searches.

None of the five weapons were registered with the state and three are illegal assault weapons under state law, prosecutors said.

ron.lin@latimes.com
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Times staff writer Sam Farmer contributed to this report.