A man onboard a flight on Sunday night was removed from the plane by law enforcement, who had to employ a taser to get him to comply after he allegedly started an altercation with a couple seated near him and became unruly.
A couple seated on American Airlines flight 2446 reportedly had an encounter with another passenger when the woman alleged that the stranger had inappropriately touched her. The accusation caused an argument between the couple and the man, who was later identified as 28-year-old Jacob Garcia of Chicago.
The airline manager intervened and in an attempt to diffuse the situation he assigned Garcia to a new seat away from the people with whom he had the dispute. Garcia was reported as making racially insensitive comments toward the couple after being asked to move.
When Miami-Dade officers arrived at the terminal they had the staff remove the other passengers on the flight from the plane. Officers then boarded the aircraft and made their way toward the seat that Garcia was occupying so they could investigate the situation.
As Garcia was approached he allegedly began struggling in an effort to keep the officers from being able to detain him. One of the officers grabbed his taser and discharged it ten times for a total of 50 seconds. The official report stated that because the incident was taking place in such a small space the officer was “unable to holster his ECW, which caused the number of cycles.”
Garcia was escorted off the plane by the officers and once in the terminal he allegedly resisted further by falling onto the ground. When they tried to lift him up Garcia was reported to have made two attempts to retrieve the gun of the officer who had tased him, but he was not successful.
After being placed in the police vehicle Garcia also allegedly struck the driver’s side rear window with his foot leaving $150 in damage from the blow.
Garcia was taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and he is facing charges of battery, disorderly conduct, resisting an officer without violence, criminal mischief, and attempting to deprive an officer with means of protection. He is being held in lieu of $6,000 bond.
The flight was able to take off an hour beyond the regular departure time and none of the passengers were reported as injured in the event.
Some of the passengers caught pieces of the incident on video and Garcia can be heard asking why he was being asked to disembark from the flight.
The woman who served as Garcia’s legal guardian after his parents passed away gave a statement expressing her shock over the allegations. She said that Garcia has been pursuing a career as a veterinarian and based on his demeanor she could not imagine him acting this way.
If you or someone you love is suspected of battery, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.