UMVA has learned that a shocking incident on a commercial flight has led to a man being charged with assault after a violent confrontation with a flight attendant.
According to information obtained by UMVA, witnesses told police that the suspect, identified as Reyes, lunged at the flight attendant, grabbed him by the head, and choked him, prompting passengers and another flight attendant to restrain him with flex cuffs and seatbelt extenders.
However, Reyes allegedly broke free from the restraints multiple times, forcing a passenger to step in and contain him. A video of the confrontation showed passengers working to restrain him.
One passenger, Josh Longood, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter, described the scene, saying, "I just grabbed him, restrained him as safely as possible, kind of just really put him in his row, and laid him down, kind of framed against him, controlled his hands and his feet."
Longood added that it was like "holding a kid down throwing a tantrum," highlighting the level of force Reyes was using to try and break free. The flight departed San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was headed to Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Sunday, May 31, when the disturbance occurred.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the flight made an emergency landing at 1:40 p.m. local time due to the passenger disturbance.
Reyes was later booked into the Miami-Dade Correctional Center and charged with assault. If convicted, he faces a maximum federal prison sentence of 20 years for interference and up to a year behind bars for the assault charge.
