Airplane Brawl Investigation Continues
Airplane Brawl Investigation Continues Save Email Print
Flight attendant attacked by passenger
Posted: 8:38 PM Dec 30, 2008
 Last Updated: 8:06 PM Dec 31, 2008
 Reporter: Mike McKnight
Email Address: sixonline@wowt.com
107 comments
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The U.S. attorney for Nebraska said Wednesday he is still waiting on reports from the FBI about an unstable passenger aboard a Continental Air Express commuter jet who attacked a flight attendant.

The jet was heading from Houston to Omaha last Friday when a middle-aged man left the plane's lavatory after about 40 minutes covered in his own feces.

"Oh, it was awful. It was worse than that." Stacey, from Houston, who asked that we not use her last name, says the plane had just one flight attendant in the cabin, a young man who moved the other passengers forward to empty seats and kept the unkempt passenger in the back row.

The flight attendant asked the passenger to go back into the lavatory and clean up.

"I hear all of this ruckus and this yelling and I kind of turned around and the poor flight attendant is on his back and the guy is like punching him and I'm like, oh my gosh. It's almost like a scene out of a movie. There were two male passengers behind me that got up and kind of got the guy off of him. The poor steward, he's got a black eye, his eye's swelling. I felt so sorry for him."

The injured attendant, with help from the passengers, got the unruly passenger buckled in and calmed down for the landing at Eppley Airfield, which took place without incident an hour later. The airline will not comment on the attendant's condition, but we understand he will be okay.

Sources tell Channel 6 News the man resides at a care facility in Iowa and was returning from a Christmas holiday trip alone, completing a trip from Chicago to Houston and then Omaha.

The U.S. attorney says the man was not arrested, but detained at the airport by authorities until picked up by trained professionals from the care facility in Iowa.

"It certainly may be difficult for us to prove the right mental capacity to prove intent,” says U.S. Attorney Joe Stecher. “Based on the knowledge we had at that time, we did not request detention. The individual was released to people who are very capable of taking care of him and have for some time."

"Certainly there was a disturbance. That disturbance was loud. It did get physical. It got violent. We're glad it came to the conclusion that it did, but I can certainly understand anybody on that plane being upset by what they saw."

Airlines are provided lists of people restricted from flying. The passenger's name was not on any of those lists.

Stecher says even if no criminal charges are brought, the investigation will look into what kind of mental treatment the man has been undergoing and whether that should have kept him from flying alone and unsupervised.
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Posted by: Helen on Jan 5, 2009 at 06:17 PM
Doug's posting is so right on !! It's all about the money & airfare paid,the Airlines do not care about their workers or other passengers on board.... Happy to hear male passengers assisted. The F/A would have lost his Job,had he responded by pouring a hot pot of coffee over the passengers head. That's what I would have done. Shame on the family members & care center that allowed him to travel without a caretaker, putting others @ risk
Posted by: Doug on Jan 4, 2009 at 11:33 PM
The problem is Airline management. they don't care about passenger safety. once they get paid the airfare, they don't care who gets on the plane. they fly safely in corporate jets and don't mingle with the "real" people. If you folks want safety, it's time to pay up!. But no , you would rather fly cross country for $50 and take the risk...You get what you pay for, and someone else (the Flight attendant ) gets hurt.
Posted by: cindy on Jan 4, 2009 at 07:57 PM
Soon flight crew will carry guns to protect themselves and their passengers. It was not like that when I was a Stewardess.
Posted by: Jenn on Jan 4, 2009 at 07:02 PM
The family members who decided it was a good plan to send him by himself - and hid his mental condition are responsible and ought to pay. Commercial air travel is not a right. If the airline had known he couldn't live by himself, but had to be in a "home", they wouldn't have let him board the plane. His was no ordinary "mental condition", he didn't just have mild or moderate depression. Perhaps his family ought to be charged with endangering the flight as well as paying massive damages to the hurt FA. I've been on a flight to Honolulu (from Toronto, ON), when a woman lept up, and started screaming about 'leaving the plane', and being claustrophobic, and was wrestled to a seat by several FAs, and her husband. She wouldn't stop struggling, so they shackled her to the seat, and gave her some sedative by injection. She remained there for the rest of the flight (7-8 hours) with no bathroom access. It was a wonder the cabin didn't end up smelling like a sewer half way across the Pacific.
Posted by: Lena on Jan 4, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Safety,Saftey... always comes first. This is not a political situation!Flight Attendants have no clue on which passengers have a mental illness. This flight attendant acting the best way possible in this situation. Flight attendants are trained to keep everyone safe and alive, while putting their lives in harms-way.This incident is not normal during a flight. This incident was very scaring, no matter if the passenger was a mental illnes person or not, he should have never flew alone because of his mental illness. Someone could have been hurt very very badly. Most people do not know how to handle a person in this situation...So, for the safty of the mental illness passengers and other passengers, and most of all the crewmembers that do this job for a living, please please have an Escort!!!!... It is just that simple!!!
Posted by: erin on Jan 4, 2009 at 12:06 AM
he made most of the trip by himself. the deal is either he or someone (the facility he lives at) should be held responsible. people who live in a mental facility should NEVER be allowed to leave alone and go on a freaking vacation. look at the old people (like the man who accidentally plowed into a farmer's market) killing many people. he was held responsible despite being elderly and having an accident. i cant wait til bush is out of the white house because letting mentally disturbed people run loose like this is ludicrous.
Posted by: JS on Jan 3, 2009 at 02:01 PM
Donna: The flight attendant told the man to "clean himself" not clean the bathroom! Big difference there and even if the attendant did tell him that, it would be natural first instinct response.
Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 3, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Ok folks. We all know that sometimes things don't go well on a long flight but, maybe the guy did have some problems and maybe that was the only way he could have coped with it without endangering everyone else's lives but, that is unfortunate that it didn't play out that way. Mental sickness is hard to detect in a lot of people. A lot of people fly daily on these flights and maybe there were several other people that were either mentally sick or challenged on that flight and we didn't know it. We all jump to the conclusion that everything will be alright but at the same time, we have to think well, what if? And as far as one flight attedant on that flight, there should have been more than that like maybe 4 attendants? Regardless of the incident, things did get under control and I thank the many people that were on that flight. It made my trip easier to get back home and thank the good lord that there are people out there watching over us. Thanks for a job well done!
Posted by: jodi on Jan 3, 2009 at 11:30 AM
It greatly saddens me to read people are so uneducated about mental health.First, if this gentleman had a bowel problem (medical) people would have felt bad for him and attempted to assist him.I find it interesting some of you do not see having a mental health diagnosis is no different then being diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, or cancer.I am sure he did not sign up to have a mental health diagnosis just like you wouldn't sign up for cancer. Come on people. This ignorance is the exact reason why mental health treatment is typically not covered by insurance companies.There are several great famous people with mental health diagnosis.For example, Sylvia Plath, Isaac Newton, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Dickens, Patty Duke, and Winston Churchill just to name a few. Think of all their contributions to society and they have a mental health diagnosis.I encourage you to research NAMI to find a complete listing; I am sure it will shock you.They walk among us just like everyone else.
Posted by: tj on Jan 3, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Places that help persons i.e. the spring center, a voluntary mental health crisis center are shutting down. Budget cuts etc, but yet the city can build a new staduim. Where are our priorities people? Did we not learn anything from the mall shooting? He was a prime example of person falling through the cracks of the so called mental health system. The system is broken and needs to be fixed sooner than later.
Posted by: pepe on Jan 2, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Hello: How terrible this is. Do you think that this is legal for agencies that know this type of passengers. I believe that this agencies should let the airlines know what passengers are they sending on board. To what I am understand this passengers should be escorted to destination. what would you say to the flight attendant. What is going on with this people, if couldn't be worse. Please send a message to this mental facilities not to send people like this by themselves on board the aircraft. thank you pepe
Posted by: harry on Jan 2, 2009 at 11:53 AM
i know someone who has an alcohol problem and tends to become irrational and unruly when drunk (without the alcohol, he is normal). he defecated in his seat after having a few drunks and when the FA asked him to clean up after himself, he got angry, went in the bathroom and came out with pieces of toilet paper smeared with his feces and started throwing them at passengers. what do we do with people who are not diagnosed with any mental illness but may still misbehave under certain sets of cicumstances?
Posted by: DC on Jan 2, 2009 at 09:57 AM
"...go back into the lavatory and clean up." The FA didn't ask *him* to clean the lav, but clean himself. And two FA's on every flight? Are YOU going be the first to line up to pay more for the extra FA on your flights? "Wouldn't we rather have a safe plane than some nut trying to go through an exit door? Geeze..." Sheese folks: the doors can't be opened in flight.
Posted by: Donna on Jan 2, 2009 at 02:50 AM
WHY would the attendant tell the obviously unbalanced man to clean up the bathroom? There should be two flight attendants on all flights for safety and security and to "check" a bad decision made by a flustered attendant. The Feds handled it correctly for a change. But the poor guy doesn't get to fly by himself anymore. Not safe.
Posted by: Elizabeth on Jan 1, 2009 at 07:44 PM
The comments seem reflect the views of those who have dealt with and those who have not dealt with mental/dev issues in their lives. There are rules regarding children traveling alone- I am not aware of rules for adults(with mental conditions) on direct flights. I know of families who have been kicked off of flights because their autistic child prior to lift-off. I know I am always cautious when traveling with my autistic son as I fear the same. Academically my son exceeds his peers-emotionally and socially- way sub-standard. I know one of his meltdowns would certainly result in issues on an airplane. MANY people have issues- many are very functional. Do they all require escorts? no.Could they have a period of good days and then have a freak out session-sure. Even my grandmother fears the claustrophobic impact airplanes can have. I think there was a trigger that set this guy off. Or perhaps we need a special back-of-the-plane section for all of those who are different.
Posted by: Gen on Jan 1, 2009 at 12:40 PM
The point is that this guy should have had a escort with him, and he had none. There is someone that is responsible for neglecting this mans needs. He NEEDED assistance, and someone failed him. What if they put a very young child on a plain with no supervision. That would be neglect since the child is vulnerable and not able to care for him/herself. Same with this man. He OBVIOUSLY needed some assistance and supervision and he did NOT get it. This man, along with everyone who dealt with the situation, are the victoms. You should directing your angry comments at the ones who neglected this man needs.
Posted by: Jason on Jan 1, 2009 at 09:34 AM
This is by far the weirdest case I have ever heard of. This man needs to be prosecuted to the fullest. If insanity is on the table whoever deemed stable for flight needs to be in Jail
Posted by: BRYAN on Jan 1, 2009 at 09:21 AM
The ranting here is sad - it's not about liberals or punishing 'criminals'. This man is mentally disabled. As the father of an autistic teenager who can be aggressive, I sympathize. That said - I would never put my son on an airplane by himself. That's where the mistake took place in this instance. All this being said - perhaps 'bouncer type' flight attendants aren't a bad idea. But to those ranting about 'locking up the crazies' rather than caring for them - beware of Karma. You or a loved one could have a stroke, develop a neurological impairment, develop dementia - show some compassion.
Posted by: compassionate on Jan 1, 2009 at 09:14 AM
Good God people...is that all ANYONE of you can think about is suing someone?? Having worked with people with mental disabilities for a while, I can understand why he did what he did. It's a horrible story, yes, I don't disagree with that, but c'mon...that's all Americans think about..suing and making money off of someone else...get some class
Posted by: Maria on Jan 1, 2009 at 09:08 AM
It's strange that no matter what problem arises, the liberal Democrats are to blame. Not Regan, of course not, he was'nt president for quite a few years, even though institutions were emptied out & patients who had no knowledge of self preservation were forced to fend for themselves. I'd like to know, since repubs are so perfect, who is to blame for the absolute crises the world is in. Maybe the SHOE should have hit the mark.
Posted by: happynewyear on Jan 1, 2009 at 09:04 AM
the man was obviously travelling to visit family. Said family obviously knew this man was a patient in a facility treating him for his mental illness. Said facility and family obviously knew this man does not have the mental faculty to travel alone. I do not feel this man can be responsible for his actions, due to his obvious mental capacity. I do, however, hold his family and the "care facility" fully responsible for putting him, as well as his fellow travellers at risk. They knew he was not capable of travelling alone. In the end, I'm sure it was to "save a buck" by not having someone travel with him. Now, they need to pay back each and every passenger that was on that flight what they paid for their ticket. That would be the right thing to do.
Posted by: Stan on Jan 1, 2009 at 08:32 AM
Posted by: rick on Dec 31, 2008 at 03:16 PM: "it was reagan who dumped all of the mentally ill out of the hospitals and institutions and onto the streets. ronald reagan. nobody else." ------------------- Rick - Me thinks that you should be joining this fellow in a special home very soon.
Posted by: Reality Czech on Jan 1, 2009 at 08:13 AM
I have all the understanding and sympathy in the world for those suffering from mental illness. I can even understand when their emotions have the potentential of turning physical, but not in a pressurized tube, flying at an altitude of twenty-thousand feet and travelling at 250 miles per hour.
Posted by: SERGIO SANTUCCI on Jan 1, 2009 at 08:09 AM
I was on on all airplanes for many years from 1960 to 1980 and I never encounter any strange passengers on boards.I don't know why so many incedents on this days. Pheraps because passenger are frustrated for continue delays, security ect, ect. THIS IT ONE OF THE MANY REASON I DON.T FLY ANYMORE.
Posted by: WHAT?!!!? on Jan 1, 2009 at 07:59 AM
It constantly amazes me at the ignorance of the general public re: mental illness. Unfortunately, it is stories like this that perpetuates the stigma of mental illness. I would say 99% of the time people with a mental illness are HARMLESS!!Everyone is talking abt. the de-institutionalization and how it was a bad thing. Question...has anyone actually seen one? They are HORRIBLE, inhumane, depressing places. Animals deserve better treatment than what we have subjected people who have a chronic mental illness to! I have yet to meet a single person that has raised their hand and said, "yes please, let me have a mental illness!" This thought process of "lock 'em up" is so wrong on so many different levels, I can't even go into why. And no, I don't have a mental illness, I have just worked with those who do and have seen the stigma and struggle that generally wonderful people have gone through because of this horrible illness.
Posted by: Keith on Jan 1, 2009 at 04:53 AM
As much as air travel and the the "emotional" trauma that either the air lines or its passengers seem to display these days; I'm very happy the folks in Nebraska and the airline, treated the man with dignity and without further commotion. KUDOS. Maybe 9-11 and that fear is fading for the good people.
Posted by: John on Jan 1, 2009 at 03:45 AM
The public's right to fly is more important than this guys. He should be banned from public transportation unless competently escorted.
Posted by: Daryn on Jan 1, 2009 at 01:52 AM
"Mental Illness" is just an excuse and is not acceptable. This man committed a crime and should face severe punishment. If I were an Air Marshall, I would have put this man down. He violated the safety of others, and "mental illness" is no excuse. My suggestion: Send this guy and others with "mental illness" off to the middle of Death Valley and don't bring them back until they learn how to interact normally with society.
Posted by: Gen on Jan 1, 2009 at 01:34 AM
Jim at 2:02pm Dec.,31,This guy was probably ON his meds. Some Drs. don't care what med they put you on,as long as you don't bother them,and you are sedated. There are some HORRIBLE meds out there, and I can bet you that there is NO Dr. that would want to even try to take them due to the horid side effects.I say that all Drs.should be required to test these meds out on them selves to see first hand how horrilbe the majority of them are. this poor guy was probably drugged on what ever concoction that his dr.put him on, and was not in control of anything. You'd be amazed at what Drs. try to prescribe to patients.Many times the meds aren't even meant for the conditon that the person actually has.Drs.aren't specilaized in all areas of the brain,so many times persons with,say,partial epelipsy go with the wrong diagnosis,and never get the proper med to control the seizeure.Behaviors of partial epilepsy(depending on what area of the brain is affected)are simular to some mental illnesses.
Posted by: Mary on Dec 31, 2008 at 10:51 PM
GAG.....as if traveling isn't enough of a torture, this is just another reason to stay home or drive!!
Posted by: Mike on Dec 31, 2008 at 09:35 PM
Marie is correct. The "institutions" were deemed inhumane (by democrats) and were closed in the 1960s. Some were given 30 days of meds and then expected to keep periodic DR appointments. Others were placed in (very limited number of) group homes. The majority were simply released, and make up the largest percentage of our homeless population. The accepted percentage of the general population is one percent (300 million = 3 million mentally ill). I personally believe the percentage is much higher.
Posted by: Mike on Dec 31, 2008 at 09:27 PM
It's called SCHIZOPHRENIA. One minute they will appear normal, but then can act on the voices they are hearing, which sometimes tell them to do certain things. They believe they are acting in self defense when they attack someone.
Posted by: beedogs on Dec 31, 2008 at 09:20 PM
you people blaming the ACLU are the ones suffering from mental illness.
Posted by: Jeff on Dec 31, 2008 at 08:47 PM
Jane: It smelled like Newark.
Posted by: Anonymous on Dec 31, 2008 at 08:33 PM
Mental illness is a chronic Illness just like any many other Illness. I'm sorry that it inconveniences some of you high and mighty perfect people out there. Compassion for the mentally Ill people in this World must be learned the hard way by some. I was one who had to learn through life experience by seeing ill family and friends go through HELL with this Illness. I pray you never have to see one of your loved ones in crises to learn compassion for these Human Beings. Oh Yea, This being on the Drudge report shows how this Nation still discriminates against Mental Illness. I'm ashamed of all who profit from the Ill person involved in this Story. NO CLASS!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Bill on Dec 31, 2008 at 08:09 PM
Air travel sure isn't what it used to be
Posted by: bijan on Dec 31, 2008 at 08:07 PM
Oh, the joys of flying commercial.....
Posted by: Jethro on Dec 31, 2008 at 07:42 PM
Terrible but difficult to prevent. I was on a plane from Vietnam to Taiwan to the U.S. On the plane was a person with a problem. He went walking throughout the plane bothering people. Finally the steward said, "Sit down or I will tie you down." The person finally stayed put in one place. It's scary having a nut case on board. Be firm or lose control. Next time the steward should ask for asistance because I am sure many would help. Every plane sould carry a pair of handcuffs (change the law if it needs). Wouldn't we rather have a safe plane than some nut trying to go through an exit door? Geeze....
Posted by: JBnID on Dec 31, 2008 at 07:17 PM
If the man was "incompetent" there should be a guardian with him when traveling. If he has not been adjudicated incompetent he has committed a crime and should be tried. If someone "allowed" him to travel, that person should be arrested and charged with every applicable law. So, the crazy man didn't try to enter the cockpit?? If so it's attempted murder. I wonder what happened to personality profiling by security? Or, was he not the at the proper place in line to draw 'random' attention? There should be a plastic billy-club in every seat back on ever commercial airliner right with the airsick bag and magazines. I trust the passengers I fly with MUCH more than the people 'searching' them at the gate.
Posted by: William on Dec 31, 2008 at 06:43 PM
IT wasn't Reagan! The ACLU argued that an individual has the right to be non-hospitalized if they want to be so and that the State cannot, without due cause, hold them. BLAME THE ACLU not Reagan. BTW...he also didn't cause the AIDs problem, global warming, or anything else. He did help this country recover from a very bad case of the Carter's. This disease came in many stages and each having its own symptoms. There was "the Billy", "the Amy", and "the Jimmy". The overall problem resulted in a terrible self loathing, anti-patriotic, "we are worse than the French" feeling. Thank goodness we found a cure, RONALD REAGAN and it is summed up in the song "I'm Proud to be an American". SO...if you have crazy people in your area, usually identifiable by an OBAMA/Biden t-shirt, don't blame the Republicans, BLAME THE ACLU.
Posted by: Patricia on Dec 31, 2008 at 06:20 PM
Apparently, Reagan was forced to close institutions in CA, but it was definitely Carter who made this a national policy. I remember when the streets started filling with mentally ill people in the 70's. Also had two friends working in a state hospital in PA and they explained why all these people were suddenly on the streets. I don't see how mentally ill people can be responsible to show up at centers for evaluations. When I get off my meds for a day or two, I have definite consequences. People with more serious mental illnesss try to treat themselves with drugs and alcohol, not prescribed meds. But, anyway, it was definitely the Carter regime that put the mentally ill on the streets nationally.
Posted by: alcohol on Dec 31, 2008 at 05:58 PM
It's so dumb that people say to ban alcohol because of a few people. That's like saying ban bridges because every once in a while people jump from them.
Posted by: Ray on Dec 31, 2008 at 05:48 PM
Great, so I get searched every time I fly because I look Middle Eastern, and this nut gets on a plane no problem? Homeland Security and the TSA are doing a great job....
Posted by: Rita on Dec 31, 2008 at 05:31 PM
It has to do with the courts, some of those people are just as nutty. Those who cannot take care of themselves need a place to co-habitate with like minded folks, and that means they should not be out in public. There are so many mentally ill people, we all know some.
Posted by: Marie on Dec 31, 2008 at 05:24 PM
Here in Wi. many institutions were closed in the middle '70's. Ronald Reagan had nothing to do with it. It was mandated by a bunch of libs who felt sorry for those confined. Many of them ended up on the street or in really bad housing. Aren't they just so much better off. I remember it clearly as I visited someone almost every Saturday.
Posted by: Troy on Dec 31, 2008 at 05:12 PM
I cannot believe the level of ignorance expressed on this board. Obviously none of you have had the experience of dealing with someone who suffers from mental illness. This is a very tragic event, not something to make light of. Although I do not know the specifics, this person obviously suffered some kind of meltdown or perhaps had not taken his medication. We need to provide more training for professionals (police, paramedics, corrections officers), but obviously the general public could use a lot of education as well. Pray to God that you do not have to deal with these illnesses first hand. You should all be ashamed of yourselves.
Posted by: Fran on Dec 31, 2008 at 05:07 PM
Arrest him, yes. Turn him over to medical authorities, yes. In most states, a person can be committed to an institution by a judge and recommendation of mental professionals. This man surely qualifies for commitment for observation and treatment. The law is specific as to how long he could be kept, etc. This is no violation of his rights, as he gets due process, etc. Most mental patients go about their business quietly and are more of a danger to themselves than to others, even in the midst of a psychotic episode. I'd hate to see a non-flyer list that included all persons being treated for psychosis. (You'd be surprised at some of the names, BTW.)
Posted by: Henry on Dec 31, 2008 at 05:02 PM
Where are the air Marshalls? Wasted $ on Homeland Security, yet another infringement on our rights by the gov't. Add it to the ever-growing list of violations: They violate the 1st Amendment by opening mail, caging demonstrators and banning books like "America Deceived" from Amazon, Wikipedia and Facebook. They violate the 2nd Amendment by confiscating guns during Katrina. They violate the 4th Amendment by conducting warrant-less wiretaps. They violate the 5th and 6th Amendment by suspending habeas corpus. They violate the 8th Amendment by torturing at Gitmo. They violate the entire Constitution by starting illegal wars without declaration. Impeach them all (both parties) and save this great country. Last link (unless Google Books caves to the gov't and drops the title): http://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000083883
Posted by: Really? on Dec 31, 2008 at 04:58 PM
Really Dave? We should "bannish" (sic) alcohol on all flights for everyone because of the stupidity of a few? That's a dangerous precedent to set, no?
Posted by: Kevin on Dec 31, 2008 at 04:50 PM
Correction: It was Carter who emptied the mental wards.
Posted by: Tim on Dec 31, 2008 at 04:42 PM
WE NEED TO BRING BACK 'INSANE ASYLUMS,' and guys like this need to be locked up in them. Society needs to be protected, and second to that, individuals like this need to be protected from themselves as best possible. Incidents involving people who have lost touch with reality occur at airports on a daily basis, as well as of course outside airports. With so many incidents like this occurring these days, I'm less concerned with the privacy & freedom rights of individuals like that, & more concerned with their impact on the welfare of society as a whole. I don't care if they simply forgot to take their medication -- it's a public safety issue, just like I'm held responsible if I "forget" to pay my taxes or "forget" to have a driver's license while I drive around in my car. And yes, I know it'll cost taxpayer dollars to start up a nationwide system of lunatic asylums.
Posted by: mec on Dec 31, 2008 at 04:40 PM
"it was reagan who dumped all of the mentally ill ..." No it was not. the "deinstitutionalizaton movement" was pre Nixon and perpetrated by leftists. By the time a came to work in a related field, we were finding individuals who had been let out of mental institutions living in garages with supposed caretakers taking their wellfare benefits.
Posted by: LM on Dec 31, 2008 at 04:37 PM
If he did the crime as found guilty in a court of law by jury, he should be punished. -- He should also be paying for the damages, or be in prison until he pays for the damages. He should also be paying for the room & board in prison.
Posted by: Joshua on Dec 31, 2008 at 04:24 PM
It's amazing to me how extreme these comments are, on both sides. Yes this man has a mental illness and should be treated as such with compassion and get the appropriate treatment. But you also have to take into account the circumstances of the situation. A belligerent person assaulting a flight attendant, requires immediate and appropriately violent action to neutralize the situation. Once he is neutralized, everyone is safe and on the ground, then we can help this poor man get the help he needs. I'm tired on this, oh we should feel sorry for this man, not assault him mentality. It's called basic survival instinct, take care of situation at hand. But I am also disgusted by these folks who use this situation to spew hate and fear/violence mongering. Walk softly but carry a big stick.
Posted by: Bee on Dec 31, 2008 at 04:22 PM
Yes, Ronald Regan closed the mental facilities, but he did it to save money. The ACLU went right along with it saying that the government can't institutionalize people against their will.....they have the right to be inter graded into society. Now we have people who are either a burden or a menace to society living amongst us. It would be more humane to provide a safe haven for the mentally ill. Thanks to the ACLU and the type of political correctness ideals the espouse, walking down the street is not as safe as it once was.
Posted by: dave on Dec 31, 2008 at 04:13 PM
Posted by: rick on Dec 31, 2008 at 03:16 PM it was reagan who dumped all of the mentally ill out of the hospitals and institutions and onto the streets. ronald reagan. nobody else. ________________________ Reagan hasn't been president for 16 years. Stop the hating!
Posted by: jaline on Dec 31, 2008 at 04:10 PM
Hey Rick...Reagan was forced to, as you put it, "dump all the mentally ill out of hospitals", because the CA Supreme Court made a decision that they could not be detained without their consent. So jump on the court, not Reagan.
Posted by: barbara norton on Dec 31, 2008 at 04:07 PM
Just who compiles those "lists" referred to ? As a member of the public, may I SEE them? If not, why?
Posted by: Wilbur on Dec 31, 2008 at 04:05 PM
It was not Reagan who dumped the mentally ill on the streets, it was the ACLU. Another liberal outfit that wants to destroy America.He fired the mentally ill, the air traffic controllers.
Posted by: bleh on Dec 31, 2008 at 03:22 PM
Since when did flying become a "right"? It isnt.
Posted by: rick on Dec 31, 2008 at 03:16 PM
it was reagan who dumped all of the mentally ill out of the hospitals and institutions and onto the streets. ronald reagan. nobody else.
Posted by: Larry Croft on Dec 31, 2008 at 03:13 PM
It could have been me. For about a seven year period, I was away from home overnight more than 50% of the time. I was always mad about something but never got into trouble while flying. Later, I was diagnosed as bipolar. Now, I'm in good spirits as long as my medication works well. Still, I go nuts with anger when the medication gets out of whack. I sympathize with the guy and hope has a happy future.
Posted by: Nunya on Dec 31, 2008 at 03:04 PM
Being mentally ill myself, I find it interesting how many people seem to think locking us all away would be a good idea... I've gotten so good at controlling it, many people I know well (who have plenty of reason to know better than to think this) tell me I'm the most sane person they know. I work two jobs, and I feel great about my life. If I can straighten things out, then many others can as well. I see no reason why anyone should be locked away just for being considered "unstable" due to certain mental abnormalities, unless they are obviously dangerous to others. Eugenics scares the heck out of me, only the REALLY crazy people believe in that... A person's environment and commitment to personal growth are a major concern, genetic sequencing is only part of what makes them the way they are. Should let him sit in jail a few days and think about it.
Posted by: Maureen on Dec 31, 2008 at 02:23 PM
What a terrible trip for the passengers to have endured. This man obviously should not have been traveling on a plane alone. I really appreciated the professional way that the journalists reported this incident.
Posted by: Wayne on Dec 31, 2008 at 02:18 PM
I hope you hand wringers find yourselves being assaulted by some "mental patient" one day and THEN you can say "It's okay, he is just a mental patient!" Assault is assault, no matter whether the offender is doped up, drunk or mentally ill. He should be treated as a criminal, and not allowed to fly OR be in public until he both recovers AND pays for his crime. Our rights are not put on hold just because someone else is stupid, drunk or mentally ill.
Posted by: Bob on Dec 31, 2008 at 02:15 PM
Rachel, it's people like you who allow this type of behavior to not only continue but to be accepted. Let me be clear to everyone. I don't care what your problem is, if you attack me or my family you're going down. Period. I don't care what your state of mind or body is. A person having a mental problem does not alleviate the damage done by said person. Was the flight attendant hurt any less because this passenger was unstable? Of course not. If he, or any other unstable person, attacked you or your family would you hurt any less? Again, of course not. It's an imperfect world that's NEVER going to be perfect and all you Utopians out there are deluding yourselves if you think different. Throwing the guy out of the plane is a bit extreme but he needed to be dealt with in an uncompromising way to guarantee the safety of the other passengers. Or do they simply not matter because they are sane and therefor it's ok for them to be victimized?
Posted by: James on Dec 31, 2008 at 02:05 PM
Reagan!!!! Not even close....it was Carter and other Democrats that championed this policy. But I can't blame Democrats for being for ignorant of history. Everything they believe comes from the movies!
Posted by: Jim on Dec 31, 2008 at 02:02 PM
Having a mental illness is no excuse for unruly behavior. Take your meds or stay home.
Posted by: Serge Gazinya on Dec 31, 2008 at 01:59 PM
Now they will want to mental screen all passengers, then you will be cleared to fly. I'm sure this criteria will be stored on your implantable chip. How easy it is to see through their plan, and why these stories make the news.
Posted by: Odavinu on Dec 31, 2008 at 01:56 PM
Flight attendants should be requried to take hand to hand combat courses. This would reduce the time passengers are disturbed by some nut case. One punch to the throat and the rest can listen to him gurgle. For those of you disturbed by the comments here get a lawyer. Maybe you can get some free money for your emotional distress. If mental illness was a crime we would have to lock up the Executive, Judicial and Legislative branches of the government. The inmates are running the asylum now.
Posted by: Jeff on Dec 31, 2008 at 01:54 PM
National Healthcare is not the answer here. This guy would be waiting years to be seen under the Ted Kennedy Massachusetts plan...which is the same plan Obama intends to implement for the rest of us. Ted Kennedy....author of No Child Left Behind..and Taxachusetts Wait-4-Months to see a Doctor. Great...
Posted by: john on Dec 31, 2008 at 01:48 PM
They ought to throw the book at the guy for doing that.
Posted by: This Guy on Dec 31, 2008 at 01:42 PM
In response to David's comment, I'm a conservative Republican and do not believe this man should be tried for anything. You can't just go around lumping "liberals" as having one mindset, if you do, I don't think you even understand what liberal and conservative mean, nor what they apply to Way to go for labeling, not very surprised though as most people these days revel in ignorance.
Posted by: DrudgeAsylum on Dec 31, 2008 at 01:42 PM
Aside from Regan busting up the Asylums, I belive that this could be a sideffect of a society taking too many meds. I really wish congress would repeal the law that let drug companies put on TV ads to push thier junk.
Posted by: Chris on Dec 31, 2008 at 01:33 PM
I would immediately give aid in the form of unconsciousness for the attacker - scat or no scat. When someone screws with my safety and those riding with me.. they will pay the ultimate price if need be in order for me to survive. Mental illness or not, this person would be severely incapacitated and restrained in the harshest manner possible. There is no room for this type of bs on aircraft.
Posted by: CINDY on Dec 31, 2008 at 01:21 PM
Actually very sad. Because this poor man has a REAL mental problem that will never go away. No, we should not throw him out of the plane, but feel sad & try to be helpful to him. There but for the very grace of God, go any of us.
Posted by: Dave on Dec 31, 2008 at 01:18 PM
Yet another reason to bannish alcohol from flights-you know he was drunk!
Posted by: George on Dec 31, 2008 at 01:12 PM
I am sickened by the cruelty of the comments here. Obviously the man is mentally ill. Better national care overall for these diseases might have helped this situation.
Posted by: DrudgeWatcher on Dec 31, 2008 at 01:09 PM
Ha! I submitted this to the Drudge Report--and it has made it to the top of his list of stories!! GO DRUDGE!
Posted by: Rachel on Dec 31, 2008 at 01:04 PM
These comments disturb me. Obviously this man has some sort of mental/psychological handicap or disorder. While I don't condone his violence, implying that throwing him out of an airplane or sending him to the middle east for punishment are ridiculous, and at least he has a reason for acting stupid. What's yours? These statements are exactly the kind of response that continues to create a stigma around mental illness. This man should be receiving treatment, and deserves the same respect due to any human being with an illness. If somebody had flipped out due to a physical malady, people would feel sorry for everybody involved. This man does not deserve your condemnation; he's probably going through a Hell most of you have never dreamt existed. Perhaps if you persist in your hatred, you will eventually see it.
Posted by: David on Dec 31, 2008 at 12:48 PM
No criminal charges. Of course not, that is the liberal mindset when it comes to criminal activity. Not the criminals fault, always someone or something elses. Of course he is unstable, ANYONE who commits crimes is somewhat unstable, it just depends on to what extent.
Posted by: John on Dec 31, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Hey "Htos1" if you had a brain you would be dangerous. It was Ronald Reagan who cut the funding and let these folks with mental illnesses out onto the street in mass and in case you forgot we still have a REpublican president until 1/20/09.
Posted by: Alex on Dec 31, 2008 at 12:33 PM
Mark is certainly right. What about these "lists"? What is the process to appeal if you are on them? This is the Soviet system being implemented here. Let me guess, another doped up time bomb this guy was. Just like those shooters tend to be. Big Pharma is doing its part to make sure there is a justification to "save us from ourselves." VERY funny, Luis! Yeah, this guy needs an NEA grant.
Posted by: Lloyd Stock on Dec 31, 2008 at 12:18 PM
In Canada we shoot wild animals with tranquilizer guns. Time to think about this technique on airlines. Attendents need to be trained and armed accordingly.
Posted by: Jeff on Dec 31, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Too bad he wasn't able to knock him out. It would saved a lot of trouble!
Posted by: BigDawg on Dec 31, 2008 at 12:09 PM
For me, it'd be easy to physically detain/control an "unruly" person (passenger, etc)...especially one who's unarmed. The thing that makes this case difficult is this fellow was covered in scat. I'd still be compelled to help out the attendent, but would be hessitant (at first).
Posted by: Bill in NH on Dec 31, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Not only is mental illness not a crime, it is a disability protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. I am shocked that "U.S. Attorney Joe Stecher" seems to think a disability can bar a person from flying, of course Joe did not site any law to back up his "opinion" now did he.
Posted by: GMan on Dec 31, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Like heck it was Reagan's fault. It was the "mental health bar" which, in the 70's, decided that mentally ill people had the "right" to be stark raving mad, live in their own filth on the streets, and terrorize everyone. Thanks, liberals. Another triumph for "civl rights".
Posted by: Dee on Dec 31, 2008 at 11:56 AM
Can we please stop with this nonsense that Ronald Reagan kicked all the mentally ill out of CA institutions. The fact is he was court ordered to do it as the result of a court lawsuit filed by mental health advocacy groups at the time. CA lost the lawsuit and was FORCED by the courts to release all persons who were not at a specific time deemed a current threat to themselves or others. Thank the democrats for that because one of the lead advocates pushing the lawsuit at the time was a Democratic State Legislator who sided with the mentally ill.
Posted by: stan on Dec 31, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Another attention whore!
Posted by: Ellen on Dec 31, 2008 at 11:52 AM
"It's a violation of one's civil rights to be institutionalized EVEN IF they kill themselves.." I'm still trying to figure out why someone who's killed themself would be institutionalized. Hmmmm.....
Posted by: Patrick on Dec 31, 2008 at 11:44 AM
• HUMAN INJUSTICE — IN NEBRASKA, YET! If they'd cleaned the poor gentleman off he might even have turned out to be Santa Claus, en route back to the North Pole. How do you know the poor man didn't just trip into the toilet bowl by accident, then make his fecal layer more all-encompassing when he tried to clean himself with his wee handkerchief? At that point he might've become so self-disgusted he decided to elicit the help of his fellow passengers in getting a good scrub-down. If every unkind soul fled he might, understandably, have turned his self-disgust onto THEM, by chasing the hoard of abject cowards up & down the aisle, in disgust at the dearth of empathy, even common manners. There can never be too much THOUGHTFULNESS. Especially when there's NONE, & everybody is just looking out for his perfumed self. Certainly there's an object lesson in this event, & I think it behooves us to search everywhere under the seat for it, as the New Year's bells & hideous screeches approach.
Posted by: real deal on Dec 31, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Keep them locked up, indeed. It was Reagan who closed the hospitals and kicked " these fools " out of care homes in Cali during the 80's. Seems as they are reproducing. Sounds like an argument for birth control. send him off to the mid.east for psyche care. problem solved
Posted by: mark edward marchiafava on Dec 31, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Instead of trying to post some idiotic, "clever" comment, I'm more concerned about the "lists" used to keep "certain" people from flying. How can a sovereign citizen access these lists? What are the criteria for being PLACED on such lists?
Posted by: Htos1 on Dec 31, 2008 at 11:32 AM
It's a violation of one's civil rights to be institutionalized EVEN IF they kill themselves and everyone else around them.Thank you democrats,change we can believe in.
Posted by: Luis on Dec 31, 2008 at 11:17 AM
What is the big deal? If you were in NYC and this guy was a performance artist, you'd be hit with a US$100 cover charge!
Posted by: Mike on Dec 31, 2008 at 11:05 AM
They're supposed to force him back into the lavatory and lock him in there until they land when this happens. But flight attendants are required to be much thinner than normal people thus they are not strong enough to deal with an aggressive passenger. Now the plane is out of commission until it's disinfected.
Posted by: Anonymous on Dec 31, 2008 at 11:04 AM
they should have gone to 12,000 and thrown him out!
Posted by: oi! on Dec 31, 2008 at 10:54 AM
" the U.S. attorney will look into what kind of mental treatment the man has been undergoing and whether that should have kept him from flying." Wow. Goodbye privacy!
Posted by: john on Dec 31, 2008 at 10:42 AM
If there was ever a good reason to open the door and throw someone from the plane...this is it!
Posted by: Grimmy on Dec 31, 2008 at 10:41 AM
I warned them about this. Al Franken should be banned from commercial flights.
Posted by: rusty on Dec 31, 2008 at 10:40 AM
See what happens when you don't lock these fools up and keep them there?
Posted by: Sheesh! on Dec 31, 2008 at 10:39 AM
I hope that flight attendant gets paid well.
Posted by: Bill on Dec 31, 2008 at 10:26 AM
Flying sure isn't what it used to be. You never know what you're going to get into these days.
Posted by: Dan on Dec 31, 2008 at 09:49 AM
Dude, seriously. What on earth is wrong with people? Covered himself with his own feces? On a flight? Can we say....mental hospital?
Posted by: Lori on Dec 31, 2008 at 09:30 AM
I had already heard this story on Monday when a co worker returned to work as he was a passsenger on that flight...He said it was disgusting and that the Man had to have some mental issues going on! The flight he said was bizzarre!!!
Posted by: Jane on Dec 30, 2008 at 09:13 PM
Ugh, I can't even begin to imagine how nasty it must have smelled in that little jet. Airsick bags for everybody!
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