Man charged in unprovoked beating of passenger on United flight
A United Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is parked at a gate at Dulles Washington International Airport in this March 2021 file photo.
(CNN) — United Airlines crew and passengers had to stop what court documents describe as an unprovoked beating of a man on a flight on Monday.
A criminal affidavit alleges that as Everett Chad Nelson was walking back from the bathroom about two hours into the flight, he stopped at seat 12F and “began physically attacking a sleeping male passenger.”
Nelson punched the still-unidentified man “repeatedly in the face and head until blood was drawn,” court documents say, adding the incident “lasted approximately one minute.”
Court documents add that Nelson attacked the other man “without notice,” and there was “no indication” that the victim fought back “in defense.”
United Airlines released a statement thanking its crew and other passengers on Flight 2247 for their “quick action” in restraining Nelson. United says the flight from San Francisco to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia “landed safely and was met by paramedics and local law enforcement.”
Unruly passenger incidents
The FBI is investigating the incident, the most recent case of an unruly passenger on a commercial flight to make headlines. The Federal Aviation Administration says airlines have reported more than 1,700 such incidents in 2024.
“The FAA pursues legal enforcement action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crewmembers, and can propose civil penalties up to $37,000 per violation,” the agency said in a statement.
Court records show that Nelson is being represented by a public defender. CNN has reached out to that attorney for comment.
Hannah Rabinowitz contributed to this news article.
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