Routine Airport Screening Takes Unexpected Turn After TSA Officer Spots Unusual Detail

A passenger’s attempt to bring an unusual item through airport security in Florida quickly caught the attention of highly trained Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers.

At Tampa International Airport recently, TSA officers discovered a 4-inch, double-edged knife concealed inside a baseball bat-shaped flashlight, according to an employee story published on the agency’s website.

TSA Officer Andrew Carter was screening the passenger’s carry-on bag with an X-ray machine when he noticed something unusual about the flashlight — and flagged the bag for a closer look.

“The makeup and composition of the flashlight appeared unusual and outside what I typically expect, so I determined it required further examination,” Carter said in the published note.

Supervisory TSA Officer Michael Slaughter then searched the bag — and felt a mass beneath its lining. (Read more from “Routine Airport Screening Takes Unexpected Turn After TSA Officer Spots Unusual Detail” HERE)