American Boeing 737800 Image: Eric Salard / CC BYSA 2.0, via Wikimedia
Last Wednesday (3), an incident involving a passenger and a flight attendant occurred on board American Airlines flight AA1497 en route from Dallas Fort Worth to Bozeman in the United States.
Keith Edward Fagiana, a passenger on the flight, was charged with disrupting the work of the flight crew, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to US$250,000 (approximately R$121,972). can. The man remains in custody following his arrest on January 3rd.
According to the court, the incident began when a flight attendant approached Fagiana, who was in the back row of first class, after receiving complaints from a passenger about violent kicks on the seat. The situation worsened when the inspector asked Fagiana to stop her behavior, which resulted in a barrage of swear words and an unexpected punch in the gut.
According to Paddle Your Own Kanoo, the flight's pilots decided to make an emergency diversion to Amarillo Airport after identifying a Level 2 security threat due to “physically abusive behavior.” The crew managed to restrain Fagiana and handcuff him.
While being restrained on the flight, other passengers and crew members intervened and moved Fagiana to an empty row of seats, where she remained under control until landing. Local authorities removed the person from the Boeing 737 and took him to the airport police station.
During the arrest process, Fagiana complained that the flexible handcuffs hurt him, so the police decided to replace the plastic handcuffs with steel handcuffs. While changing handcuffs, the man allegedly kicked one of the officers in the groin and spat at him, causing the officers accompanying him to place a hood over Fagiana's face.
In a statement, American Airlines stressed that “acts of violence will not be tolerated” and expressed its commitment to cooperating with authorities in the investigation of the incident. The company reiterated its stance regarding the safety and peace of mind of passengers and crew.
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