A Southwest passenger was kicked off a flight for being unruly and then attempted to reboard the plane only to be tackled.
On Monday evening, Southwest Airlines flight #3630 was going from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas to Chicago. A passenger, who was said to appear drunk, entered the restroom right after boarding and refused to leave. The flight crew had to convince the man to exit the lavatory, then he was asked to leave the plane. He left, but then ran back on the plane.
“He was already boarded, and he went into the bathroom, and they just told us they were trying to get him out of the bathroom, and they took him off the plane,” Rick Alonzo said. “Next thing you know, he tried to fight his way back on, and that’s when the Southwest guys came and got him.”
“He was violently getting back on the plane, like pushing people, so one of the guards tackled him in front of my feet,” Molly O’Malley said. “He was acting very inappropriate.”
Southwest Airlines issued the following statement:
“A Southwest Passenger who appeared to be intoxicated was asked to deplane flight 3630 before departing Las Vegas McCarran International Airport for Chicago Midway Airport. The Passenger became unruly and our Employees utilized their training to manage the situation until local law enforcement could assist with removing the passenger from the flight. Our employees are trained to deny boarding to passengers who appear to be intoxicated, as well as to address passengers who become unruly and/or create a disturbance in flight.”
The erratic passenger attempted to reboard the plane but was tackled by a crewmember. Eventually, three Las Vegas police officers arrived, zip-tied the passenger, and removed him from the plane.
The video shows the Southwest employee holding the man down.
Passengers said one flight attendant was injured in the situation and did not fly to Chicago.
Despite the altercation, the flight arrived at Midway International Airport in Chicago at around 2 a.m. local time, about an hour behind schedule.
[CBSNews]