American Airlines passenger facing up to 20 years for violent brawl
A man’s violent tirade when a request for more booze was denied on a flight could land him in prison for 20 years.
When a demand for more beer by American Airlines passenger Jason Felix was denied by a flight attendant, he got into a violent altercation with an adjacent seatmate, who just happened to be an off-duty cop.
The fight aboard the Miami bound flight involved heavy blows and threats to kill.
According to a FBI affidavit, Felix shouted at the man: "I’m going to kill you. I know you are a cop."
Cell phone video footage showed Felix yelling at the flight attendant spouting homophobic slurs before the police officer intervened.
Felix was taken into custody by police as it landed in Miami.
Felix is facing federal charges of interfering with a flight crew, which could result in a sentence of up to 20 years if found guilty.
"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," a statement from the airline said.
Fellow passengers on the flight echoed those thoughts, saying the crew handled a potentially dangerous situation well.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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