Security Guard Scene

I haven't seen this movie in quite a while, but the part where Tommy tapes the flares to his body, pretending to be strapped with dynamite and the security guards sliding their guns to him. After that, one of the guards is talking to a reporter and gives a completely different story to her. Then he and the other guard talk for a minute behind her, then he's tapping her on the shoulder. What am I missing? What was the point of that?