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class seat as plane makes emergency landing at BWI Marshall Airport – WTOP News
WTOP News • • general
Key Points:
- A disruptive passenger on American Airlines Flight 618 from Dallas to Newark became aggressive, hitting other passengers and using racial and homophobic slurs, prompting crew and fellow passengers to restrain him with flexible handcuffs and duct tape during an emergency diversion to Baltimore.
- Retired police officer Juan Mejia and passenger Richard Olenick helped restrain the man after he bit Mejia and tried to bite Olenick, with Olenick sitting on the restrained passenger’s lap until the plane landed safely.
- The Maryland Transportation Authority Police arrested the man on state charges after the emergency landing, and the flight continued to Newark; the FAA reported over 1,160 unruly passenger incidents this year and can impose fines exceeding $43,000 for such behavior.
- American Airlines emphasized their commitment to safety and professionalism, noting that duct tape and flexible handcuffs are standard equipment on commercial flights to manage violent or disruptive passengers.
