Health · Beacon Post
A man was arrested for alleged unruly behavior on an American Airlines flight causing it to divert to Baltimore on Thursday night, according to the airline and investigators. Arthur Lundeen, 67, of Arizona, was restrained to his seat with duct tape and his hands were restrained with zip ties, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, which arrested him after the plane landed. The incident took place on American Airlines flight AA 618, which took off from Dallas and was en route to Newark, according to the FBI and the airline.
Juan Mejia, a passenger on that flight and a former law enforcement officer, said he began hearing a disturbance about three quarters of the way into the flight. The man sitting two rows behind them became belligerent, making derogatory remarks, racial slurs, and vulgar language offensive to the women in the row behind him. Mejia and his friend Richard Olenick intervened physically to restrain Lundeen.
The plane was diverted to Baltimore Washington International Airport around 10:15 p.m. The two passengers stayed with Lundeen until law enforcement took him into custody upon landing. Lundeen was charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree assault for incidents aboard the aircraft at BWI Airport.
The FBI is investigating the incident. Lundeen was cleared by paramedics for an open wound on his arm. American Airlines stated that safety and security are their top priority and they do not tolerate violence.
The investigation is ongoing.
