North Charleston, South Carolina – A Massachusetts man was detained on Sunday after reportedly making a bomb threat before boarding a JetBlue flight from Charleston International Airport.
Units were dispatched to Jet Bridge A6 at 10:49 a.m. after a customer reported a bomb threat while boarding a JetBlue flight to Boston.
Officers arrived and spoke with the flight crew, who stated that the suspect, Chad Svatosky, told several passengers that “everybody needed to grab their pitchforks and torches because the plane was going to get lit up,” according to an incident report from the Charleston County Aviation Authority Police Department.
Other passengers claimed hearing Svatosky say he had a bomb. Officers entered the plane after the crew and passengers had been removed, and they caught Svatosky. All of the alleged threats were made when Svatosky was in the terminal.
After being issued a Miranda warning, Svatosky stated that he needed a lawyer and denied making the comments made by other passengers. He apparently claimed he was discussing riots in Chicago.
Agents investigated the plane and discovered no bombs. The FBI was contacted to assist with the matter.
Svatosky was sent to the Al Cannon Detention Center and accused with making terroristic threats. He has now been released on $100,000 bond.
