Man Arrested In NW Flight Disturbance
TSA: Disruptive Passenger Removed From Plane
POSTED: Wednesday, January 6, 2010
UPDATED: 8:49 am EST January 7, 2010
DETROIT -- A Northwest Airlines flight from Miami to Detroit was delayed Wednesday evening as authorities removed a passenger who was disruptive and shouting "I want to kill all Jews," according to passengers.
Miami-Dade police said in a statement Thursday that 43-year-old Mansor Mohammad Asad of Toledo, Ohio, faces several charges, including disorderly conduct and threats against a public servant.
Police said a taxiing Northwest Airlines flight 2485 was turned around at Miami International Airport late Wednesday after the passenger became boisterous.
"The man started making remarks, saying that 'I am a Palestinian. I hate all Jews. I want them dead.' Apparently that triggered a security alert," said Allen Markowicz, who was on board the flight.
Authorities got on the plane and arrested the man. Three of Asad's travel companions were also taken off the plane and questioned, but they were released a short time later.
Police said Asad continued to be unruly and make threats against officers as they searched him, according to his arrest affidavit, which was obtained by Local 4.
Download: Arrest Affidavit
"I am not afraid of you cops. I have gotten in fights with cops in Ohio and broke their arms in three places. I've broken their skulls too!" an officer wrote in the arrest affidavit.
The officer wrote in a statement that Asad began chanting in Arabic and then yelled out "Allah, it's O.K. if you hurt the fat, white, racist cop," and then he charged at the officers.
He was then shot with a Taser gun twice.
Passenger Kirsten Coe told Local 4 that she saw the man being hostile with police as he was being hauled away.
"He was acting a little arrogant. As he was walking by me he turned around and one of the cops said, 'Please face forward' and he was acting a little arrogant and rude," said Coe.
The rest of the passengers were removed and screened again and then the flight departed a short time later.
Northwest released the following statement about the incident:
"As a result of a disruptive passenger, Northwest Airlines flight 2485 from Miami to Detroit returned to the gate in Miami. The passenger and his travel companions were removed from the flight. The flight received additional security screening and has since departed."
Local 4 has learned Asad has prior out-of-state criminal charges.
