ANCHORAGE — A Colorado hockey referee charged with making a joke that shut down the main terminal at Alaska’s largest airport has been released from jail, but not without facing criticism from an airport manager who says a teenager would know better than to joke about a bomb in a bag.
Bail was set at $1,500 Sunday for Peter Friesema of Highlands Ranch, who is charged with disorderly conduct. The Anchorage Daily News reports Magistrate Catherine Rogers at arraignment ordered Friesema, 44, to stay in Alaska.
Friesema was in Alaska to referee games in a University of Alaska Anchorage hockey tournament.
Airport authorities said Friesema late Saturday night checked in at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport with a traveling companion and saw an Alaska Airlines ticket agent put a sticker for his baggage on his friend’s luggage.
The agent, authorities said, told Friesema the bags would end up at the same destination and were already moving down the conveyor belt.
Friesema then reportedly uttered the words that led to his arrest.
“But my friend’s bag has a bomb in it,” the agent heard him say, according to a charging document. Friesema told investigators later that he had said, “What if my friend’s bag has a bomb in it?”
Assistant District Attorney Adam Alexander said Friesema’s comment may have been an attempt to be funny or flirtatious. Airport Manager John Parrott said the comment was taken seriously.
“He did something that in this day and age a teenager would know better than to do,” Parrott said.
Just after midnight, officials locked down the main terminal. They ordered the hundreds of people inside to evacuate because there had been a security breach.
Many were not dressed for the below-freezing temperatures outside. Parrott said shuttle buses after 1 a.m. began taking passengers to another terminal. People also found relief from the cold in the rental car garage, Parrott said.
Friesema had passed through the security checkpoint and was found in the Alaska Airlines boardroom. He was interviewed by the FBI and his luggage was screened, Parrott said.
Airport police arrested him on charges of making terroristic threats, a felony, and disorderly conduct, but prosecutors chose to charge him only on the latter count.
At arraignment in the Anchorage Jail courtroom, Friesema wore a yellow jailhouse uniform. His hands were shackled. He pleaded not guilty and requested that he be allowed to leave the state.
“If I have to stay in Alaska, I’ll lose my job, my career,” he said.
Assistant District Attorney Alexander said he would not oppose eliminating a requirement that Friesema stay in Alaska if he agreed to return to face the charge. Magistrate Rogers said she considered him a flight risk and ordered him to stay.
“I know that the airport was shut down for this. It was a huge expense to the state of Alaska and the people that were here,” she said.
Friesema, she said, can speak to an attorney about changing conditions of his release. His next court hearing was set for Nov. 26.
Comments (17)
Add commentBeen hit with the puck one
Been hit with the puck one too many times. It is sad though that you can't joke, have fun at all while flying anymore. If you comment that the TSA agent was a little rough, you get further screening, if you refuse to get nuked and exposed with the innefective xray machine, you get further screening, if you use the use the first class bathroom, you could get arrested, if you get irritated about the airlines crappy service, you could get arrested...
Idiot
He should know better than that. If you lose your job, so be it, you're the idiot that was dumb enough to even joke about something like that!
Before the pile on begins.....
about this 'poor guy' and the 'overreaching' of airport security, we all need to think about what would happen if there WAS a bomb, someone heard him make that comment, and let it go, "assuming" he was joking.
Just sayin'.
I once locked down the screening area in Anchorage - had a carry-on with a computer and a battery pack in it - looked funny to the agent, apparently - so there I am, in my socks, face to face with a very large, very armed officer who is towering over me, right in my face, asking me for my name, address, and ID. My responses? Very serious, very polite - "Yes, Sir", "No, Sir", and "Here you are, Officer". 4 minutes and a thorough cleaning of my bag later, and I was on my way to the gate.
There are times it just doesn't pay to mess around.
@swimmergirl; Um...maybe I didn't drink enough kool-aid
...why is it, "...we all need to think about what would happen if there WAS a bomb..." For starters, I'm curious why you'd think it appropriate you telling poeple what to think. Me, I believe I have better things to think about...
With so many things in life....good intentions pave the way to a darker place. Security seems to be one one those areas...people get caught up in defending the concept...but just don't know when to quit. In the end...it becomes a self-serving industry.
What's the cost/benefit...at what point are you spending more on security than it's worth?
I can see it
The agent screws up and puts the wrong label on the bags, mixing my bag with somebody elses. I object. Do I get red in the face and call the agent a moron? No, I say something along the lines of "But hey, what if that guy's luggage has a bomb in it - am I going to get the credit for it?"
And the agent, being a moron, calls out the goons, slightly "misremembers" what I said, and BAM, there goes my life: my career; my reputation; my fashion statement in clothing.
Heil!
Welcome to the downward spiral of living in a police state. Just hang on, its going to get way more interesting. I promise.
Really?
This really seems like it’s a freedom of speech issue, this guy did not make a threatening comment and in fact it appears that given the way things are today, he asked a quite legitimate question when he saw that the agent had put his name on someone else’s bag. What if his “friend” did have a bomb in his bag? Who goes to jail then? It seems to me that if anyone should be sweating over this it’s the agent.
The man in this story used
The man in this story used very poor judgement.
Over thirty years ago at the Juneau Airport a friend of mine was making wisecracks outside of security. He's now a well-known local businessman. Anyway, the airline agent, a young lady, glared at him. I tried to get him to shut up. Things like this were not funny then and they are not funny now. There's a time and a place for humor and security check-in at an airport is not one of them.
I say tough luck to this guy. I'm sure he's not a bad guy. Nonetheless, I doubt he will make a mistake like this again. Probably the friend who was with him won't either.
Just in the nick-o-time
Im just glad it wasn't a baseball ump that did this! Baseball has already been demonized as the Drug Lords of the Universe. So lets blame Hockey for causing all this homeland security stuff! Forgive the airline industry for seats that tip over in flight, and encourage all sports played in the US to first have the approval of the United Nations, and CNN. Heck yes, it was a YOUTUBE video that caused Pearl Harbor. Please TSA pat down my daughter, I will be a new millennium patriot.
Don't screw around
Just when you think all the nuts are locked up somebody pulls a boneheaded stunt like this. Has this guy been in a vacuum for the past ten years. Any prudent person knows that this type of behavior is not acceptable. Prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law. Any of you that have issues with being properly screened prior to boarding an aircraft, take the ferry!
Great Point
Helterskelter brings up a great point. Why is it that homeland security isn't expanded to include Ferry's, Public Buses, Taxi service and anyone passing though a school zone? I guess only some folks are worth saving? Lets create more jobs.
Homeland security is bogus!
Here is a perfect example of an over reaction. I agree what the guy said wasn't smart...but does he deserve a felony record for pointing out a mistake by the gate agent? I say NOOOOOOOO
Seems all you have to do is 'cross' an agent and all the sudden you are a terrorist. I find this attitude completely unacceptable as a free soul who paid good money for my flight. The extremely remote chance of a terrorist attack in no way qualifies the public expense, inconvenience and complete loss of dignity experienced by many travelers.
Any time you 'irritate' an airport employee their 'go to' response is to threaten you with preventing you from getting on your flight right on up to a felony arrest. A little extreme in the case of this particular comment....what happened to airport employee 'common sense'? There's no way the ticket agent really believed this guy was really a threat! He was just exercising his power.
Mama T you are mistaken
Perhaps if there had been a more professional security force on 9-11-2011 the innocent passengers who needlessly died slamming into the WTC, Pentagon, and the field in Shanksville may still be alive. Best wishes and good luck on you next flight. This is not a Joke!
Flying is a privilege not a
Flying is a privilege not a right...if you don't like the security then don't fly.
The government does not force you to fly...but buying health insurance, thats a different story.
Why so much security at the airports anyway?
If flying is so dangerous why are we disarming everyone before we board the planes. Is it to make us all defenseless? Ya'gatta wonder...
I have often thought that if flying is such a security risk that we should all be armed with tazers or some such other weapon. This would level the playing field. With the pilot safely locked away up forward we all could zap it out in the main cabin until the last man standing.
I forgot to take my meds...
Genesis of TSA bound up
as a reaction to dangers of religious faith exemplified in the tragedy of 9/11. Just let that fact detonate in your brain.
I look forward to the generation that displaces faith-heads in our elected servants. Right now, one out of three US citizens under the age of thirty are not beholden to any religion. Perhaps I'll live to see that generation gain power.
Mike
@Helterskelter & noroad....
So both of you are just fine when an Airport employee or ticket agent wants to take out their bad hair day on you possibly preventing you from getting on your flight? Not to mention charging this man with a felony for saying "what if his bag has a bomb in it?" It seems like calling out the agent was the catalyst for all the brouhaha not any real fear of a real bomb. What is wrong with a stern reminder that the "B" word is inappropriate in any sentence in an airport? We have to clear the terminal? Get real....the chances this was a serious threat are greater than hitting the lottery!!!! It wasn't even phrased like a threat according to the article.
All you fans of less government are OK with having your private parts felt up just to get on a plane because it’s a privilege? Oh yea...they charge you pretty good money for this privilege too by the way. But you don’t want to be forced to buy medical insurance? You want me to pay if you can’t I guess…..seems like we want to pick and choose which government regs we will follow now doesn’t it?
Don’t even get me started on 9/11. This is not about 9/11 and is about controlling YOU.
They keep you scared and constantly remind us about the lives lost on 9/11. That was one time and I'm truly horrified...but NOT SCARED. PLUS I don't believe we are safer because of these measures....AND I don't feel safer because this man was arrested.
The FBI send moles out to recruit possible terrorists, incites them, Gives them a car they say has a 1000 pound bomb in it…hands um a cell phone and then brags about the terrorist plot they foiled. Do you even know what this practice costs you or what kind of low lives they are paying hundreds of thousands of your tax dollars to so they will set up these bogus busts? All intended to keep you terrified so you will tolerate this treatment…welcome it even and bully anyone that says it’s not acceptable!
Time to be reasonable and charging this man as a felon is simply not reasonable. The man was charged and passengers inconvenienced as revenge for calling out the agent IMHO.
@mama t
Awesome!!! You nailed it!!!
Fear is continually generated in order to scare people into compliance.
Our freedom and liberty is our security; not government intrusion.