According to a widely shared video, an American Airlines customer who was making difficulty was placed in a headlock and taken off the aircraft, as reported by the NY Post. Shail Patel, a 29-year-old Florida resident, was accused of making threats and offensive comments while inebriated.
According to court records, Patel yelled obscenities, referred to other passengers as "blue-eyed white devils," and threatened to bring down the aircraft while everyone was inside.
Misdemeanor charges included one count of disorderly drunkenness and two counts of violence against Patel. As of Friday, he had a $2,150 bail holding him in the Hillsboro County prison. Witnesses said that in addition to having bloodshot eyes and a distinct alcohol odor, Patel cursed at other passengers.
The lawsuit said that he "began acting erratically yelling and cursing at the passengers" as soon as he boarded. He was immediately aggressive.
After he allegedly smacked someone in the face and hand and spit on them, Patel's actions apparently became much worse. While the aircraft was still stopped at Tampa International Airport, some of the event was captured on camera and circulated online.
In the video, Patel is seen being put in a headlock by another passenger and making an antisemitic remark to a flight attendant. One video footage shows Patel calling a crew member a jerk while sporting a striped button-down shirt. "I am attempting to return home, and you all have made it more difficult for me to do so," he yelled.
After a violent struggle, another video showed an irate passenger in a blue sweatshirt and baseball cap interfering, seizing Patel, and putting him in a headlock. "Now, place your hands down and refrain from touching anyone," the guy said while maintaining Patel's headlock. Standing close to the two males, a lady wearing a backward hat said, "I am a police officer." "So am I," the guy in blue retorted.
The guy in blue told the rowdy passenger to "turn around and walk," but he did not let go of Patel's arms. The aircraft had a 30-minute delay due to the disruptive passenger, who required the authorities to deal with.
According to court records, Patel yelled obscenities, referred to other passengers as "blue-eyed white devils," and threatened to bring down the aircraft while everyone was inside.
Misdemeanor charges included one count of disorderly drunkenness and two counts of violence against Patel. As of Friday, he had a $2,150 bail holding him in the Hillsboro County prison. Witnesses said that in addition to having bloodshot eyes and a distinct alcohol odor, Patel cursed at other passengers.
The lawsuit said that he "began acting erratically yelling and cursing at the passengers" as soon as he boarded. He was immediately aggressive.
After he allegedly smacked someone in the face and hand and spit on them, Patel's actions apparently became much worse. While the aircraft was still stopped at Tampa International Airport, some of the event was captured on camera and circulated online.
In the video, Patel is seen being put in a headlock by another passenger and making an antisemitic remark to a flight attendant. One video footage shows Patel calling a crew member a jerk while sporting a striped button-down shirt. "I am attempting to return home, and you all have made it more difficult for me to do so," he yelled.
After a violent struggle, another video showed an irate passenger in a blue sweatshirt and baseball cap interfering, seizing Patel, and putting him in a headlock. "Now, place your hands down and refrain from touching anyone," the guy said while maintaining Patel's headlock. Standing close to the two males, a lady wearing a backward hat said, "I am a police officer." "So am I," the guy in blue retorted.
The guy in blue told the rowdy passenger to "turn around and walk," but he did not let go of Patel's arms. The aircraft had a 30-minute delay due to the disruptive passenger, who required the authorities to deal with.
