Japanese authorities have charged an American with starting a fight on an airplane before take-off. A witness caught some of the Monday brawl on tape, and posted it on social media. Check it out above [warning for foul language].
Footage shows a grey-haired man in a red-and-white shirt attacking another male in a black shirt.
“Someone help,” said the individual in the black shirt. “This guy is crazy!” They started to throw hands until the alleged attacker briefly walked away.
Then he came back for round 2.
Twitter user Corey Hour, who first posted the footage online, said he has no idea why this happened in the first place.
So, 10 minutes before take off a passenger starts a huge fight in his row. I get in between him and flight attendants, but he won’t 1v1 me.
— Corey Hour (@CoreyHour) May 1, 2017
The video ended when I stepped in & confronted the man in the red shirt. I told him to leave and squared up with him, he backed down n left.
— Corey Hour (@CoreyHour) May 2, 2017
He yells, “You think I’m crazy? What about the government!” Then exits the plane. 1.5 hours later and we finally take off. 😴 jfc
— Corey Hour (@CoreyHour) May 1, 2017
As of now and after speaking with the other passengers the motive for why he did this is still UNKNOWN. None of us have any idea why at all.
— Corey Hour (@CoreyHour) May 2, 2017
The rowdy passenger was only identified as a 44-year-old American in a Japan Today article. He has reportedly been arrested for choking an All Nippon Airways employee at the Narita International Airport. Authorities and an airline spokesperson said all this happened right before 6 p.m. on a flight heading to Los Angeles. Airline employees kicked him off the plane because he acted out while drunk, according to a FUJI TV report cited by JT. This man allegedly resisted, struck a woman passenger, and choked a male staffer after disembarking, hence the criminal charge.
For once it’s a passenger, not airline employees, accused of wrongdoing. U.S. companies have gotten plenty of flack in recent weeks for alleged impropriety. There is the recent settlement between United and a Kentucky doctor who was violently removed from a flight so standby crew could sit. (CEO Oscar Munoz testified before Congress on Tuesday because of that incident.) A male American Airlines flight attendant allegedly struck a woman with a stroller, almost hitting her baby too. Then Delta insisted they just followed policy when kicking off a man who used the restroom while his plane sat third in line for take-off.
ANA employees got a good review from Hour, however.
For the record ANA staff and passengers handled the situation with grace and respect. They did the best they could to diffuse the situation.
— Corey Hour (@CoreyHour) May 2, 2017
[Screengrab via Corey Hour]
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