Man Arrested at Minnesota Airport Had Wires Leading Into Clothes, Complaint Says

A man was stunned with a Taser, sprayed with a chemical irritant, hit with a baton and eventually tackled by airport police Thursday after he was seen at the Humphrey terminal holding what appeared to be a plunger used to detonate a bomb, according to court documents.

Taye Birmachu, 50, of Minneapolis, was charged with one count of terroristic threats Monday in Hennepin County District Court. After the arrest, police found that Birmachu had no explosives on him, said Metropolitan Airports Commission spokesman Pat Hogan.

According to the complaint, Birmachu was wearing several layers of protective clothing and had wires that extended from a black device he was carrying into his sleeve and jacket. He ignored police orders to drop his devices. He showed no effects when he was stunned, sprayed with an irritant and hit with a baton. Eventually, several officers wrestled him to the ground. At the same time, other officers were evacuating the airport terminal.

Birmachu told authorities he wore the clothes to make the statement that he is willing to die for his convictions, according to court papers.

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