TSA officer at Bush IAH arrested, accused of making terroris

[The Annoyed Man]

TSA officer at Bush IAH arrested, accused of making terroristic threat
http://www.khou.com/news/local/TSA-agen ... 63971.html

HOUSTON – Houston police arrested a Transportation Security Administration officer accused of making a threat to fellow employees at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

{——SNIP——}

Mouton’s supervisors said they were concerned that Mouton posed a threat because he came back to the airport after being warned to stay away, and noted that he has a current Texas concealed handgun license.

[RPBrown]

I have an issue with the term "terroristic threat".
As I have found out, this term can range anywhere from just saying I'm gonna whip your backside all the way up to an actual threat of terror. If arrested, the charge can be anywhere from a class C misdemeanor to a 3rd degree felony. It depends on the LEO and DA as to the charge.
I do know this because my son was charged by an officer that heard a part of the discussion between him and a guy he caught trying to break into his car. He told the guy he was going to beat his backside so to speak as the LEO was walking around the corner. Charged the guy breaking into my sons car with attempted burglary of a motor vehicle and charged my son with felony terroristic threat. The DA dropped it to Class C and we still took it to trial and the judge dismissed the charges. But, like any defense of yourself, it cost us a ton of money.

[WildBill]

I have an issue with the term "terroristic threat".

It's one of those laws that got passed during the post 911 hysteria.

[jbarn]

I have an issue with the term "terroristic threat".

It's one of those laws that got passed during the post 911 hysteria.

Terroristic threat has been around as a penal code charge for decades before 9/11.

Texas Penal Code
Sec. 22.07. TERRORISTIC THREAT. (a) A person commits an offense if he threatens to commit any offense involving violence to any person or property with intent to:
(1) cause a reaction of any type to his threat by an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies;
(2) place any person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury;
(3) prevent or interrupt the occupation or use of a building, room, place of assembly, place to which the public has access, place of employment or occupation, aircraft, automobile, or other form of conveyance, or other public place;
(4) cause impairment or interruption of public communications, public transportation, public water, gas, or power supply or other public service;
(5) place the public or a substantial group of the public in fear of serious bodily injury; or
(6) influence the conduct or activities of a branch or agency of the federal government, the state, or a political subdivision of the state.

It can have nothing to do with terrorism as we think of it today. Simply threatening to whip someone's backside may or may not be an offense, depending on the totality of the circumstances.

I believe, based on the article, the charge will not stick on the subject of the article.

[Oldgringo]

It's kinda' like the difference between major and minor surgery. You have minor surgery.....

[WildBill]

It can have nothing to do with terrorism as we think of it today. Simply threatening to whip someone's backside may or may not be an offense, depending on the totality of the circumstances.

I believe, based on the article, the charge will not stick on the subject of the article.

I think this is just a matter of "blowing off steam".

[MeMelYup]

TEX PE. CODE ANN. § 22.07 : Texas Statutes - Section 22.07: TERRORISTIC THREAT

(a) A person commits an offense if he threatens to commit any offense involving violence to any person or property with intent to:

(1) cause a reaction of any type to his threat by an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies;

(2) place any person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury;

(3) prevent or interrupt the occupation or use of a building, room, place of assembly, place to which the public has access, place of employment or occupation, aircraft, automobile, or other form of conveyance, or other public place;

(4) cause impairment or interruption of public communications, public transportation, public water, gas, or power supply or other public service;

(5) place the public or a substantial group of the public in fear of serious bodily injury; or

(6) influence the conduct or activities of a branch or agency of the federal government, the state, or a political subdivision of the state.

(b) An offense under Subsection (a)(1) is a Class B misdemeanor.

(c) An offense under Subsection (a)(2) is a Class B misdemeanor, except that the offense is a Class A misdemeanor if the offense:

(1) is committed against a member of the person's family or household or otherwise constitutes family violence; or

(2) is committed against a public servant.

(d) An offense under Subsection (a)(3) is a Class A misdemeanor, unless the actor causes pecuniary loss of $1,500 or more to the owner of the building, room, place, or conveyance, in which event the offense is a state jail felony.

(e) An offense under Subsection (a)(4), (a)(5), or (a)(6) is a felony of the third degree.

(f) In this section:

(1) "Family" has the meaning assigned by Section 71.003, Family Code.

(2) "Family violence" has the meaning assigned by Section 71.004, Family Code.

(3) "Household" has the meaning assigned by Section 71.005, Family Code.

(g) For purposes of Subsection (d), the amount of pecuniary loss is the amount of economic loss suffered by the owner of the building, room, place, or conveyance as a result of the prevention or interruption of the occupation or use of the building, room, place, or conveyance.

Personally I think the definition is very broad and not specific enough. It needs to be redefined by law.

[cb1000rider]

According to the media:

Jeno Mouton, of Houston, allegedly told a TSA supervisor that “he would rather vent than to come back and shoot up the place,” according to an arrest affidavit.

I read that as he'd rather complain about it than come back and do something threatening... Not a great choice of words, but I don't read that as impending danger.

Does anyone really expect "smart" behavior out of entry level TSA employees? Stop wasting newspaper space.

[RPBrown]

Based on what my son went through, Had a LEO been around, I could have been charged on many occasions with my little brother. I dont think we can get in the same room without one of us stating that.