iStock/Thinkstock(MIAMI) — A passenger on an American Airlines flight to Miami was arrested after he allegedly launched into a midair, profanity-laced tirade and traded punches with others on the plane who were trying to restrain him.
The whole incident was caught on tape after passenger Jason Felix began yelling at flight attendants over their refusal to sell him more alcohol, according to charging papers.
An off-duty police officer on the plane, dressed in a blue plaid shirt in the video, stepped in to try to restrain the unruly passenger, but Felix only became more enraged. Finally, another passenger talked down Felix and he calmed down.
“You need to please sit down. I’m not bringing you more beers,” a flight attendant is heard saying in the video. “Please sit down. We will be there in an hour. Why do you have this attitude? You had a couple of beers.”
The flight from St. Croix landed in Miami on Wednesday, where Felix was taken off the plane by responding officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department. He was then taken into custody by the FBI, since the incident took place on a plane.
Felix is facing federal charges of interfering with a flight crew.
Felix told another passenger that he was going to kill him and spit blood on him, an FBI agent said in the complaint obtained by Miami ABC affiliate WPLG-TV. The complaint also says the flight attendant in the video tried to get Felix to leave the plane’s bathroom, but was called a homophobic slur.
American Airlines said in a statement they were proud of the way their employees handled the situation.
“On Wednesday, May 23, American Airlines requested law enforcement meet flight 1293 from St. Croix to Miami due to a disruptive passenger. We thank our crew for taking care of our customers and are proud of the work they do every single day. Please contact law enforcement for additional details.”
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