(DailyVantage.com) – American Airlines staff recently restrained a passenger after he threatened to crash the plane while calling other passengers “blue-eyed white devils.” The man in question, 29-year-old Shail Patel from Florida, acted belligerently during his flight aboard an American Airlines aircraft, traveling from Tampa, Florida, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Patel reportedly insulted passengers and compared them to demons, and also allegedly assaulted one of the flight’s passengers by hitting and trying to spit on them.
Another passenger captured the altercation on video, including clips of Patel using antisemitic insults aimed at the flight’s staff while threatening to crash the plane with everyone on board. One of the flight’s other passengers quickly intervened in the altercation and restrained Patel using a headlock before helping staff remove him from the plane. During the altercation, one of the plane’s flight attendants asked for any law enforcement officers to assist in removing Patel, and six passengers responded to the pleas for aid by helping the plane’s crew carry Patel off the aircraft.
The video capturing the altercation includes Patel’s seemingly nonsensical ramblings while he assaulted the flight’s passengers, with the 29-year-old claiming that the flight’s passengers conspired against him to prevent him from going back to his native country. Patel also insulted the flight’s passengers throughout the ordeal, calling them various slurs and accusing them of being demons. Authorities claim that Patel’s outburst could’ve resulted from intoxication, but a confirmed motive hasn’t been identified.
Prosecutors charged Patel with multiple offenses due to his onboard outburst, including a drunk and disorderly charge and multiple battery-related offenses. Despite the severity of Patel’s charges, a judge set his bond at just $2,150. Patel will likely reappear in court in the coming weeks and enter a plea but will likely spend less than a year in jail for the American Airlines altercation. However, Patel’s actions made national headlines and prompted a statement from American Airlines.
The airliner’s statement explained the altercation and confirmed that its staff requested assistance from law enforcement to remove Patel. American Airlines also issued an apology to the flight’s customers for Patel’s actions, which caused a half-hour delay. In the statement’s conclusion, American Alines commended its staff and thanked everyone involved with Patel’s removal for their professional behavior during the altercation.
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