Anthony Yates
An unruly passenger on board a Breeze Airlines flight prompted the pilot to divert due to his behavior. He argued with flight attendants before another passenger intervened in a now-viral video on social media.
Videos by Rare
According to a report by NBC Los Angeles, the incident occurred on board flight MX704 on August 13. The plane departed from Norfolk, Virginia, en route to LAX. However, the pilot diverted and landed at Grand Junction Airport, Colorado, instead.
The Grand Junction Police Department released a statement on Facebook confirming they arrived at the airport to assist with an unruly customer. “Officers learned that an intoxicated male passenger became agitated, yelling racist slurs at airline staff while waving a skateboard,” the post reads. Airline staff reportedly tried to restrain the man twice, but he broke free both times. Despite his behavior, authorities report no injuries, noting the suspect did not physically assault anyone.
The police department explains that the FBI is involved and instructed officers to take the man into custody. Authorities transported him to the Mesa County Detention Facility.
The Unruly Passenger’s Behavior Did The Rounds On Social Media
A passenger on board the plane recorded some of the suspect’s behavior. TikTok user @mysaltylove_ uploaded the short clip, which appears to show a flight attendant struggling to put the suspect in cuffs.
The attendant attempts to grab his wrists, but he shrugs her off despite her telling him to sit down. After a few moments, a much larger passenger intervenes and effortlessly picks the suspect up under the arms. He places him in an aisle seat and says, “Sit yo *** down, cuh.”
Per NBC, the FBI identified the suspect as 46-year-old David Leroy Carter from Los Angeles. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Colorado will provide the charges, although it’s unclear what those may be. One passenger told the outlet, “To be honest with you, he was using a lot of racial slurs to the black folk and the brown folk. We were thinking a lot of things.”
Breeze Airlines reportedly said in a statement that one guest and a flight attendant were evaluated for minor injuries.
