New video shows pilot’s takedown of combative Lexington man on flight

[ramjet555]

"You don't put your hands on my flight attendant!" Watch as an American Airlines flight crew tackles and restrains a Lexington, Ky., man after a flight to Charlotte. Michael Kerr is accused of intoxication, disruptive behavior and assault.[b]Brian Colón[/b]

BY JANET PATTON AND MARCUS DORSEY
[i][color=rgb(13, 118, 186)][email]jpatton1@herald-leader.com[/email][/color][/i]



[font=lyon][size=17px]Newly released video, obtained by the Lexington Herald-Leader, shows a Lexington man being subdued by a pilot after a confrontation with the flight crew of an American Airlines flight to Charlotte.[/size][/font]

[font=lyon][size=17px]Lexington native Brian Colón, 23, shot the video on the July 21 flight that ended in the arrest of Michael Kerr, who worked as a cook at Portofino [color=rgb(13, 118, 186)][url=http://www.kentucky.com/news/business/a ... 51967.html]until he was fired last week[/url][/color][/size][/font].


[font=lyon][size=17px]In the video, Kerr threatened to break the pilot’s jaw and pushed the flight attendant to the floor, prompting the pilot to take Kerr to the floor, saying: “You don’t put your hands on my flight attendant!”[/size][/font]

[font=lyon][size=17px]Colón, who also is a flight attendant for Norwegian Airlines, said that he has never seen anything like this incident.[/size][/font]
[font=lyon][size=17px]“I was scared. I was very scared. I felt like the flight attendant’s life was in danger, and I felt like someone else needed to step in, the way he treated her,” Colón said.[/size][/font]


[font=lyon][size=17px]“We landed and were taxiing, and waiting for the jet bridge to arrive at the exit door and the man started screaming, ‘let’s go, go’,” Colón said. A flight attendant asked Kerr to sit down, but he refused and followed her into the forward galley.[/size][/font]



[font=lyon][size=17px]After the plane came to a complete stop, the captain came out of the cockpit and asked Kerr again to sit down, but he shoved the flight attendant and attempted to get out. The door of the plane was open, but the jet bridge wasn’t in place yet, Colón said.[/size][/font]
[font=lyon][size=17px]Kerr shoved the flight attendant, Colón said, “and that’s when the captain just jumped him.”[/size][/font]


[font=lyon][size=17px]Colón said that it took about 15 to 20 minutes for the police to arrive. “They had to hold him, solid, for like 15 minutes. They kept apologizing the whole time to the passengers. And the guy kept fighting back,” he said.[/size][/font]


[size=1.35em][font=lyon]While he was held down on the floor of the plane, Kerr loudly told the pilot, “Whatever you do is going on Facebook, and you’re a ... complete ... loser. You heard me right the first time.”[/font]
[/size]

[size=1.35em][font=lyon]Kerr allegedly drank three Jack Daniel’s on the plane before he got combative with the flight crew. According to an FBI affidavit, he threatened, shoved, kicked and spat at flight attendants before he was subdued by a pilot and [color=rgb(13, 118, 186)][url=http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/coun ... 47297.html]hauled off the plane by police officers[/url][/color][/font][/size].


[font=lyon][size=1.35em]Kerr, 25, faces charges of being intoxicated and disruptive, assault on a female, communicating threats and interfering with a flight crew or attendant, according to the Charlotte Observer.[/size][/font]

[font=lyon]K[size=17px]err was arraigned in federal court Monday and released on $20,000 bond.[/size][/font]

[font=lyon]The [size=17px][color=rgb(13, 118, 186)][url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/l ... 62277.html]Charlotte Observer reported Monday [/url][/color][/size][/font]that Kerr is now banned from flying on commercial airlines and is barred from contacting the flight attendant, who has been undergoing physical therapy for her injuries.




[font=lyon][size=17px]The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA on Monday issued a statement saying that alcohol-fueled air rage incidents are on the rise.[/size][/font]


[font=lyon][size=17px]“Flight attendants are the most likely crew members to be the target of passenger abuse, as they are the primary person to interactive with passengers and serve as the authority figure on the flight without the ability to call for law enforcement. [/size][/font]

[font=lyon][size=17px]The flight attendant was attempting to de-escalate the situation and was assaulted by the passenger. It is never acceptable for a passenger to assault a flight attendant, another member of the crew or other passengers. [/size][/font]

[font=lyon][size=17px]There is zero tolerance in a secure aviation system. We stand behind our member and will support her through this process,” the union said. “We have seen an increase in these incidents throughout the industry. The biggest frustration is delays and cancellations, and that has the added problem of people sitting at airports and going to a bar and drinking alcohol. Alcohol is a leading cause of air-rage incidents, as it seems to be in this case.”[/size][/font]


[size=1.35em][font=lyon]The flight attendant’s friend Tanise Love [color=rgb(13, 118, 186)][url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/l ... 62277.html]told the Charlotte Observer [/url][/color][/font][/size][font=verdana]that the woman is thankful for the support she has received since the incident. She was supported in court by co-workers and friends, but Love said she has also received support from strangers.[/font]


[font=lyon][size=17px]“She’s as angry as anyone would be, but she’s also very forgiving,” Love said. “I don’t think she’s so much focused on the assailant or his wrongdoing, she’s just focused on getting better.”[/size][/font]

[url= [img alt=© World Breaking News]https://img.rt.com/files/2016.08/origin ... 8b4569.jpg[/img][/url]


[font=segoe ui][[/font][font=segoe ui][size=12pt]While on the ground, Kerr repeatedly yelled at the pilot.[/size][/font] [size=12pt][font=segoe ui]Whatever you do is going on Facebook, and you’re a…complete…loser. [/font][/size]

[size=12pt][font=segoe ui]You heard me right the first time.”[/font][/size]

[size=12pt][font=segoe ui]The witness and videographer of the scramble, Brian Colon, told the Herald-Leader that the plane was taxiing and waiting for the jet bridge to arrive at the exit door when the passenger started screaming, “let’s go, go.”[/font][/size][size=12pt][font=segoe ui]A flight attendant asked Kerr, who is heard on the video slurring his words, to sit down. He refused.[/font][/size][size=12pt][font=segoe ui]Colon[/font][/size][size=12pt][font=segoe ui] said the door of the plane was open, but the bridge wasn’t yet in place when the incident happened. [/font][/size]

[size=12pt][font=segoe ui]He said it took 15 to 20 minutes for police to arrive.[/font][/size][size=12pt][font=segoe ui]An FBI affidavit from the incident said it took the pilots and multiple Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers to drag Kerr off the plane on July 21, after he threatened, shoved, kicked and spat at several flight attendants as the American Airlines flight taxied to the gate at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.[/font][/size][size=12pt][font=segoe ui] [/font][/size]

[size=12pt][font=segoe ui]The affidavit alleged Kerr drank three Jack Daniel’s whiskey drinks while onboard, before becoming combative with flight attendants.[/font][/size][size=12pt][font=segoe ui]Kerr was arraigned in federal court on Monday and charged with being intoxicated and disruptive, assaulting a female, communicating threats and interfering with a flight crew, [/font][/size][size=12pt][font=verdana]to the Charlotte Observer.[/font][/size][size=12pt][font=segoe ui]Kerr was released on $20,000 bail bond. He is banned from flying on commercial airlines, and barred from contacting[/font][/size][size=12pt][font=segoe ui]the flight attendant who is undergoing physical therapy for her injuries.[/font][/size]

[size=24px][color=rgb(0, 0, 0)][url=http://www.kentucky.com/latest-news/art ... 13592.html]Video shows Lexington airline passenger charged with attacking flight crew[/url][/color][/size][size=14px]Michael Kerr of Lexington had three Jack Daniel's during a flight to Charlotte, NC., on July 21st. Footage shows him becoming impatient in wanting to disembark the plane after it had landed. An FBI affidavit said it took the pilots and multiple police off [/size][size=12px]Tina [/size]

[size=12px]Tackett Sheets[/size]


[size=5px]\[/size][size=12px][font=mcclatchy sans][b][url=http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crim ... 28852.html]http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crim ... 28852.html[/url][/b][/font][/size][size=12px][font=mcclatchy sans][b][url=[/url][/b][/font][/size]

[vanNostrum]

I wonder if the FA ever took the Smart Serve training
If the allegedly 3 drinks turn out to be true  the FA over served this guy ,the flight was only 1 hr and 15 mnts
Suppose an evacuation was needed ,what would have happened to this guy?

[Liquid Charlie]

I'm wondering if this guy won't be on the shit list at the company. Crew is not supposed to leave the flight deck and stay behind locked doors no matter what is happening in the back. He will certainly get a pee-pee whack along with the atta boy.

[Nark1]

[quote author=Liquid Charlie link=topic=3833.msg10267#msg10267 date=1470239509]
I'm wondering if this guy won't be on the shit list at the company. Crew is not supposed to leave the flight deck and stay behind locked doors no matter what is happening in the back. He will certainly get a pee-pee whack along with the atta boy.
[/quote]
Depends. As I understand it, they were at the gate, parked engines shut down. 
We are free to have the cockpit door open, while waiting for the gate/(agent)

[Liquid Charlie]

See not enough info -- I stand corrected -- I wonder if he was armed  >:D

[Nark1]

I missed the joke of it was in jest, but no, neither pilot was armed. 

FFDO's are entrusted to secure the cockpit, not the cabin.

[David MacRay]

Too bad they are bound to protect the guy. If the bridge was not there just let him go.

Thank you for choosing us, buh bye. Aaaaaaaaaaa ~thud~

[Four Bars]

Post of The Day, for me.
Thank you, DM!