A passenger on a United Airlines flight allegedly stabbed a flight attendant and tried to open an emergency door using a metal spoon, according to reports.
The incident on Sunday was captured on video, showing 33-year-old Francisco Severo Torres causing panic on his flight from Los Angeles to Boston when he tried to stab a flight attendant with a spoon.
Other passengers were able to subdue Torres until he was arrested at Logan International Airport, authorities said.
According to the US Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts, the altercation started when Torres allegedly tried to open one of the plane’s emergency doors during the flight.
“So where’s the Homeland Security with the gun?” Torres shouted earlier on the flight, according to the video. “Because I’m waiting for them to point the gun at me, so I can show everybody that I won’t die when I take every bullet in that clip to wherever in my body they shoot it, and then I will kill every man on this plane!”
He also wanted to know, “where are they diverting us? Because wherever it is, it’s going to be a bloodbath everywhere. You can run away. You can all run away if you want! If you’re men, you can run, I won’t kill you!”
That’s when Torres lunged toward the flight attendant and hit the victim three times around the neck.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), meanwhile, would not say if there was an air marshal on the flight.
“For security reasons, TSA will not confirm the deployment of Federal Air Marshals on flights. Federal Air Marshals are trained to address a wide array of risks to the aircraft, flight crew and passengers.,” the TSA said in a statement.
Charging documents state that Torres wanted to open the door to jump out of the plane and admitted that he knew many people would die if he was successful. He also claimed that he attacked the flight attendant because he thought they were trying to kill him.
Torres is charged with one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a deadly weapon. He appeared in federal court Monday in Boston and is due back for a hearing on Thursday. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
