American Airlines First Class Passenger Duct-Taped To His Seat—Then Hits Police Officer

An American Airlines first class passenger wound up duct taped to his seat on a Dallas – Fort Worth to Newark flight Thursday night after he attacked fellow travelers and bit a man who helped restrain him. The tape went around his body, arms and head. The plane diverted to Baltimore. And according to police, the confrontation wasn’t over when officers came aboard. A passenger was strapped to his seat after making racist and anti-LGBT remarks. He allegedly screamed about Jesus & going to hell, called a Black flight attendant the N-word, used the F-slur, then became violent, hitting another passenger and striking their computer. (Via TMZ) pic.twitter.com/HD1zrtx07V — FearBuck (@FearedBuck) September 4, 2026 American Airlines flight 618 was flying to Newark on September 3 when the disturbance began. The man was shouting about Jesus and hell, directing racial and anti-gay slurs at a Black flight attendant, and striking his seat opponent and their computer. A woman who tried to intervene was shoved. Three passengers helped restrain him using duct tape and zip ties supplied by flight attendants. Two passengers who intervened, retired law enforcement officer Juan Mejia and Richard Olenick, were sitting two rows ahead and said the disturbance started about two hours into the flight. Mejia said he turned around and saw the man with his hands around his aisle-seat neighbor’s neck. He also described being bitten: He bit my hand. He didn’t break skin, just left teeth marks on my hand. We were covered in his blood. Mejia said the blood came from cuts the man had inflicted on himself. He said the extensive taping was needed to get him under control. According to American Airlines, The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we do not tolerate violence. The passenger is reportedly 67 years old. Police found two men still holding him at Gate C3. Officers handcuffed him and removed the tape and zip ties. They report he then struck an officer in the chest. The man was charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct and released on his own recognizance Friday. His state trial is scheduled for October 19. Meanwhile, I’ve covered the first class passenger taped to her seat on a Dallas–Charlotte flight in 2021. That incident eventually led to an $81,950 civil penalty and a government lawsuit seeking to collect it. But duct tape isn’t a universal airline tool. In 2021, United specifically told flight attendants not to tape passengers to their seats, pointing instead to designated restraint equipment.