Man in custody, weapons seized after dramatic airport arrest

Dramatic arrest at Ballina Byron Airport as police allegedly seize weaponsPosted Tue 1 Sep 2026 at 5:02pmTue 1 Sep 2026 at 5:02pmIn short: A man will remain in custody after a dramatic arrest at the Ballina Byron Airport on Monday.A knife and a saw were allegedly seized from the belongings of Braden Hardy, who is also accused of assaulting a police officer.What's next? The 38-year-old is due to appear in court later this week at Ballina.A man will remain in custody after a dramatic arrest during which a knife and saw were allegedly seized outside an airport on the NSW North Coast.Police were called to Ballina Byron Gateway Airport just after 9:30am on Monday, following reports that a man had forced entry into a restricted area.The ABC has been told the man tried to enter the airport through several doors before eventually entering the departures area.Witnesses say the man entered through this departure door at the Ballina Byron Gateway Airport. (ABC News: Lachie McLeod)Braden Hardy was searched on site, and police allege they found a knife and a saw in his belongings.The 38-year-old was issued with a move-on direction and left the area, but returned a short time later and allegedly assaulted a male senior constable.Mr Hardy was then arrested, with video footage showing him protesting and four officers struggling to put him into a police wagon.Video footage showed the man being arrested at Ballina Byron Airport on Monday. (Supplied)The officer was treated at the scene for minor injuries by NSW Ambulance paramedics.Mr Hardy was taken to Lismore Base Hospital under police guard for an assessment.He was then taken to Lismore Police Station, where he was charged with six offences including assaulting a police officer, failing to comply with a direction, and custody of a knife in a public place.The case was heard in bail court today, but Mr Hardy was not required to appear.Bail was not applied for and was formally refused.The matter will come before the Ballina Local Court on Thursday.The airport was the scene of a dramatic arrest. (ABC News: Lachie McLeod)The ABC contacted the Ballina Shire Council, which manages the airport, but a council spokesperson declined to comment while the police investigation was underway.