Delta Passenger Threatens “Death To America,” Makes Gun Noises—Shouts ‘Put It On Instagram’ As Police Take Him Away

A Delta passenger being escorted off a flight at New York JFK had a request for the people filming him: “Put it on Instagram!” He continued shouting racial slurs as police walked him through the cabin and passengers started clapping. The man was onboard Delta flight 2342 to Atlanta on Thursday, October 22. Video shows officers holding the passenger’s arms as they move him toward the front of the aircraft. He alternates between grinning, swearing, and addressing the people around him, dropping a derogatory epithet for African Americans. The passenger who shared the video reports the man had been making threats, shouting “death to America,” and making gun noises. Passenger video shared by Shawn Wasson The man was charged with assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration. He appeared intoxicated. Delta apologized to customers and said it has “zero tolerance for disruptive behavior.” One social media reaction was that the man looked like Bruce Willis. Another was that the man would be useful on flights where someone tries to make the entire cabin participate in a singalong. The applause reminds me of the United passenger escorted off while someone played the theme from Curb Your Enthusiasm. Last year, a Breeze passenger shouting racial slurs twice escaped restraints, and the flight diverted. A passenger and flight attendant suffered minor injuries. Of course, federal rules prohibit airlines from boarding someone who appears intoxicated. The man probably shouldn’t have been allowed to board in the first place, but cutbacks of gate agent staffing and additional workload policing carry-on bags make it tough to police this. I recently covered the Delta passenger taken off a Rome flight who continued screaming at Atlanta gate agents, and the woman who blamed Delta for serving her three Sky Club cocktails before refusing to fly her. Topics on this page