St. Louis Area News
St. Louis man arrested for shoe bomb comment
10:14 PM CST on Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Listen to some of News 4’s interview with Michael Shafermeyer
(KMOV)- A St. Louis man who was jailed and charged with making a threat about a shoe bomb was released Tuesday.
Michael Shafermeyer, 30, was arrested Saturday boarding a flight at Lambert Airport Saturday.
After spending 3 ½ days in jail, he spoke with News 4 to give his side of the story.
Shafermeyer said he was flying to Maryland to get married and because he was anxious about the wedding and nervous about flying, he had a few drinks before getting to the airport.
His friends describe him as a guy with a non-stop, quirky sense of humor.
When a flight attendant asked him to close his laptop after boarding, Shafermeyer says he was just trying to make a joke when he asked her, “Are you the one who checks for shoe bombs?”
He said within minutes federal agents whisked him off the plane and he spent the next 2 ½ days in solitary confinement at the St. Louis County Jail.
The final day in jail, he was put in general holding with 20-30 other people, who he said stood and gave him a standing ovation when he first walked into the room.
Shafermeyer said he’s charged with making a false bomb report.
He still plans to go to Maryland to get married, but will take the train to get there.
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