Rowdy American Airlines passenger tased 10 times and forcibly removed for 'fondling' a female passenger next to him
According to multiple reports, an uncouth passenger onboard an American Airlines flight endured several tasings in a struggle with police officers after allegedly groping a woman on the plane on Sunday.
Jacob A. Garcia prompted a struggle with the police when he wrapped his legs around a seat and didn't budge after Miami-Dade authorities boarded Flight 2446 to Chicago. According to a police report, authorities attacked him with the taser 10 times "due to Mr. Garcia's actions and the close quarters of engagement," reported Daily Mail.
A YouTube video posted by Jordan Liss shows passengers chanting "Get him off! Get him off!"
Before tasing Garcia, one of the officers says, "Johnson, watch out."
In response, Garcia mocks the officer after being tased: "Go ahead, Johnson, get the f--- out of here."
The authorities were reportedly summoned when the aggressor started disrespecting another passenger in front of his partner and made racial slurs. Garcia continued to struggle with the officers when they entered the aircraft, asking why they were kicking him out of the plane. He was then brought back to Miami airport where he was subsequently arrested.
37-year-old Jabari Ennis, a fellow passenger in the plane recorded the fiasco on his cell phone when Garcia was forced off the flight. Starting from the top, Ennis gave a full account of what happened. He said: "The man started harassing a couple on the plane, hitting on the female and being disrespectful to the man.
"Eventually, the boyfriend called the flight attendant and asked that he be removed. The flight attendant tried to hear him out but he was being purposely argumentative without making any points. At first, the staff tried to move him away from the couple he targeted but soon he "started making louder racial slurs to the flight attendant and others."
Ennis added: "Myself and others on the plane started complaining to the flight attendant that this was not tolerable. They then decided to remove him and called the police."
It was then that law enforcement entered the American Airlines flight to get Garcia under control. He can be seen wrestling and grappling with the trained officers in the footage. Garcia shouted: "Listen what is the reason why you're removing me from this plane?"In the back, someone can then be heard saying: "Well you just assaulted a lady for one, you're racist for two." As Garcia struggles with one officer who grips him around the neck, two other officers handcuff him. When the aggressor resisted, one of the officers told him: "Do not fight."
Garcia asks one of the officers as they handcuff him: "You listen, I'm asking you, right now, what is the reason?"
When the officer reaches for his taser in his belt, Garcia threatens him: "Go on Taser me, and you'll see what happens." However, the weapon does not seem to work on Garcia at first. He mocks the officer by calling him a 'baby' and attempts to snatch the taser out of his hand.
When the taser finally works, authorities take him into custody and off the plane.
Ennis told the Mirror: "We all had to deplane in order to get him off. The crowd cheered when they drove him away."
In a statement, American Airlines said: "American began the process of deplaning the entire aircraft. During that process, a physical altercation between the same two passengers took place. Once law enforcement was on the aircraft, the passenger then became combative with the officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department.
"We will cooperate with the Miami-Dade Police Department on this matter. The flight, which was scheduled to depart at 9:30 p.m. ET, departed at 10:34 p.m. ET with all remaining passengers. We thank our crews and airport customer service team for their excellent work in this situation."
Officials said that Garcia was charged with battery, depriving an officer of a firearm, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct after he was brought to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.