Police say an American man whose fist fight with another passenger aboard a Los Angeles-bound plane was caught on video, has been charged with assaulting an airline employee.
An All Nippon Airways flight was on the runway at Narita Airport near Tokyo and due for takeoff when a fight broke out between two male passengers.
A man in a red Hawaiian-style shirt can be seen throwing punches at another male passenger, who appeared to be sitting in the row behind him. The man also throws punches.
In video recorded by another passenger and posted to social media, a female flight attendant can be seen physically separating the pair shortly after the fight begins. The man with the Hawaiian shirt walks away, only to return and start throwing punches at the passenger again.
Airport police said a U.S. man was removed from the plane after causing “trouble” on the plane, but they would not identify the passenger.
Japanese news outlets reported that the U.S. citizen facing charges was drunk at the time the fight broke out.
An unnamed airport police spokesperson told local media that the man was arrested for allegedly choking an airline official following the onboard fight, not for the brawl with a fellow passenger.
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)
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)
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)