Jospeh David Emerson was taken into custody, the Port of Portland confirmed.
October 23, 2023, 11:59 a.m. ET
• 2 min reading
An off-duty pilot is charged with 83 counts of attempted murder after he allegedly tried to pull the fire extinguisher handles on the engines of an Alaska Airlines flight, officials said.
The plane was scheduled to fly from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco before diverting to Portland late Sunday after a “credible security threat related to an authorized occupant in the jump seat on the flight deck,” the airline confirmed to ABC News.
The suspect allegedly tried to pull the fire extinguisher handles on the engines, according to preliminary information provided by investigators, according to a federal official briefed on the investigation. The suspect was subdued, subdued and then handcuffed to a seat by the flight crew, the federal official told ABC News.
The suspect, Joseph David Emerson, was taken into custody, the Port of Portland confirmed. According to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Emerson is charged with 83 counts of attempted murder. He also faces 83 counts of reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor, and one count of endangering an aircraft, a felony.
An Alaska Airlines plane takes off from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco on June 21, 2023. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The suspect was on his way to San Francisco, where he was supposed to be part of the flight crew of a 737, the official said.
Alaska said there were 80 passengers and four crew members on the flight. The incident is being investigated by law enforcement, the airline said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.