An American Airlines flight from Dallas to Newark made an emergency landing in Baltimore on Thursday night after a first-class passenger allegedly became violent, hurling racial and homophobic slurs and attacking fellow travelers before being restrained by three passengers with zip ties and duct tape.
Flight 618 was roughly two hours into its journey when the disturbance erupted. The pilots diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, landing safely at about 10:15 p.m.
Police identified the suspect as Arthur Lundeen, 67, of Arizona, who was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. The FBI is also investigating.
Witnesses said Lundeen, who appeared intoxicated, shouted racial slurs at a flight attendant, grabbed a neighboring passenger's neck, and pushed a woman who intervened. Three passengers, including retired police officer Juan Mejia and Richard Olenick, stepped in, binding his wrists with a zip tie and, after he bit Mejia and kept resisting, securing his upper body and head to the seat with duct tape. Olenick sat on his lap for about 15 minutes until landing.
The flight continued to Newark after Lundeen was removed. American Airlines said it does not tolerate violence and thanked its crew and passengers for their professionalism and understanding.
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