Boy, You Better Sit Down: Drunk Passenger Hurls Slurs, Hits Flight Attendant Before ‘Linebacker In 17C’ Lifts And Drops Him Back In His Seat
A Breeze Airways flight from Virginia to Los Angeles was diverted after a drunk passenger caused an offensive disruption on the plane, resulting in a “linebacker” coming to the rescue.
The flight was scheduled to take off and arrive at LAX airport Aug. 13, but had to land in Colorado over the unruly passenger incident. According to People, the passenger appeared “intoxicated” as he hurled racial slurs on the flight and struck a flight attendant.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Denver Field Office later identified the man as David Leroy Carver Jr, a resident of Los Angeles. Alongside the offensive remarks, Carver Jr. reportedly waved around a skateboard, physically threatening those onboard.
Footage of the incident went viral on TikTok of the heated incident between the man and a flight attendant. One video showed a passenger helped restrain the man by lifting him up and placing him in his seat. Following his heroics on restraining the Carver, fellow passengers nicknamed him the “linebacker in 17C.”
@vadogwoodnews A Breeze Airways flight from Virginia to Los Angeles made an emergency landing in Colorado after an intoxicated passenger, waving a skateboard and shouting racist slurs, broke free from restraints twice. The man was taken into police custody, and fellow passengers spent hours stranded before continuing on to their destination. Follow @vadogwoodnews for more.
♬ original sound – Dogwood
Additional audio from pilots stated that the man proceeded to use his belt to try harming other passengers. A criminal complaint further stated that the man made sexual comments and racial slurs directly at the Black flight attendant. He also allegedly spat chewing tobacco in another passenger’s face after they asked him to stop.
Upon arrival, police arrived to the scene to handle the passenger. The Grand Junction Police Department wrote on Facebook about the ordeal. The statement detailed how the passenger was placed in restraints twice but managed to break free to cause havoc on the plane.
“Officers learned that an intoxicated male passenger became agitated, yelling racist slurs at airline staff while waving a skateboard. Airline staff placed the man in restraints twice, but he was able to break free both times. At no time did the suspect physically assault anyone, and no injuries were reported,” detailed the statement.
The police took the drunk passenger into custody at the direction of the FBI. Carver Jr was detained at the Mesa County Detention Facility. While no major injuries occurred, Breeze Airways did confirm that one flight attendant and another passenger had minor physical harm.
“One flight attendant and one guest were evaluated for minor injuries. Our focus now is on taking care of our Crew and remaining Guests who have been unfairly inconvenienced by this unfortunate event and getting them safely to their final destination as quickly as possible,” shared an Breeze Airways representative to NBC News.
As for the “linebacker in 17C,” the man told ABC News about his instinct to help subdue Carver.
@abcnews A passenger is in custody after a physical altercation with flight attendants and passengers onboard a Breeze Airways flight headed to Los Angeles, the airline said. He was restrained twice, but broke free both times, according to police. #news #airplane ♬ original sound – ABC News
“I just saw a threat almost and I just grabbed him and sat him down,” shared the Good Samaritan.
Neither the airline nor police report disclosed what racial slurs he yelled on the aircraft. The incident also remains under investigation by the FBI, with charges expected soon.
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