Punching Another Passenger Will Get You Booted From A Plane, Arrested
Every once in a while we’ve reported on airline passengers behaving badly – throwing drinks on people, groping fellow passengers, attempting to open doors and other potentially dangerous actions. One such case – that included a few punches – occurred yesterday on a United Airlines flight and ended with one person arrested.
ABC7Chicago reports that issues on the United flight – operated by SkyWest – from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport to Dayton, OH, began when crew members made the decision to return to the gate after a passenger refused to turn off his phone during taxi.
A video of the incident shows the 31-year-old man getting out of his seat and walking to the front of the plane. At that point another passenger says something and the man punches that passenger.
Once the flight returned to the gate, Chicago police officers boarded the plane to remove the man.
However, they had to wrestle the passenger to the ground, during which he allegedly hit one of the officers, ABC7Chicago reports.
“The Chicago police were right on the spot. Then it was a big fight in the jet way. He was fighting the police and resisting them,” the man who recorded the video said.
Authorities say the man faces four misdemeanor charges, including resisting arrest and battery causing bodily harm.
Passenger arrested after punching man on United Airlines Flight [ABC7Chicago]
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