National Football League

Reports: Man believed to be Aldon Smith detained in Los Angeles

Published Apr. 13, 2014 7:16 p.m. ET

Sid Saraf

Several news outlets and eyewitnesses are reporting that a man believed to be San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was detained by authorities at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday.

Police did not immediately confirm the man's identity, but the 49ers released a statement Sunday saying they "are disappointed to learn of the incident today involving Aldon Smith."

A tweet from ESPN's Adam Schefter says "police detained 49ers LB Aldon Smith after he indicated he possessed a bomb, per public LA police information officer Karla Ortiz."

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the event unfolded after the detained man reacted in a belligerent manner to a second screening while going through security at Terminal 1. He is accused of then making a bomb threat before trying to proceed to his gate. Police were summoned, and the man was detained.

"We are disappointed to learn of the incident today involving Aldon Smith," San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said in the team's statement Sunday. "As this is a pending legal matter and we are still gathering the pertinent facts, we will have no further comment."

Eyewitnesses described the incident to the Sacramento Bee and the San Jose Mercury News.

"I heard him say, 'I did nothing wrong,'" eyewitness John Egan of Austin, Texas, told the Mercury News. "The whole thing ratcheted up from there. The cops were trying to calm him down. He wasn't out of control; just agitated."

The full statement from the LA police information officer:

Smith has been arrested twice and charged with DUI, and he also faces three felony weapons charges stemming from a party at his house in June 2012. Smith pleaded not guilty in the case.