This Time, an Airline Employee Is the Unruly Passenger

Image: Airplane and handcuffs on the table. (photo via SergeyChayko / iStock / Getty Images Plus)
Image: Airplane and handcuffs on the table. (photo via SergeyChayko / iStock / Getty Images Plus)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 12:33 PM ET, Sun June 13, 2021

It's another incident of an unruly passenger aboard a flight, only this time with a twist - the unruly passenger was actually an off-duty airline employee.

The incident happened aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to Atlanta on Friday.

The man, 34-year old Stephon Jamar Duncan, apparently made terroristic threats and attacked two flight attendants during the flight when the pilot made the decision to divert and make an emergency landing in Oklahoma City.

Duncan allegedly said he was going to "take down the plane."

Several passengers, including an off-duty pilot, helped flight crew subdue Duncan and restrain him after the captain was heard over the public address system asking for "strong men" to help with the situation.

No one was injured in the scrum, and the plane was allowed to resume its flight to Atlanta after the stop in OKC.

Duncan, who officials say was exhibiting signs of mental health issues, was taken to a hospital after complaining of chest pain.

Officials say the FBI is questioning Duncan, who is expected to be charged with two counts of assault and battery.

"I was unaware of this, I was in the back of the plane. A long two minutes after that first announcement, the pilot made an announcement and said 'all able-bodied men, please come to the floor, there's an emergency, come to the front,'" one passenger told ABC7 News. "I got about halfway up before we were told to go back to our seats, the situation was under control."

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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Rich Thomaselli is a 33-year writing veteran of newspapers, magazines, digital publications and more. He is an 11-time writing...

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