Timothy Armstrong: Drunk man hurls racist abuse on American Airlines flight
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH: A man traveling from California to Utah has been arrested after he caused disruption and yelled racist comments inside an American Airlines flight in an intoxicated state. The man was identified as 61-year-old Timothy Armstrong from Las Vegas, and cited for public intoxication and disorderly conduct after being arrested at Salt Lake City International Airport.
The episode that happened on Monday, September 6, on American Airlines flight 1802 from Los Angeles to SLC was partly captured on video, which showed the man screaming at a woman of Asian ethnicity. He apparently asked her to sit down while she was standing up “to deal with a back issue.” He also said that the woman and the other person with whom she was traveling “didn’t belong here”. However, when a flight attendant asked Armstrong to sit down, he yelled, “Joe Biden! Really?”
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Dennis Busch, a fellow passenger who took the video of the incident and reportedly shared it on his TikTok account, explained, “He began by yelling at the Asian woman in front of me to sit down when she was standing to deal with a back issue. He proceeded to tell multiple flight attendants that she and her companion 'didn’t belong here.' After asking him to calm down the man went into a complete meltdown of racist, sexist and belligerent comments, culminating in his arrest at the gate.”
Busch added: “We were lucky to have such a well-trained crew who kept their cool throughout the flight.” Meanwhile, a spokesperson for American Airlines said after Armstrong was arrested after the plane landed. The spokesperson stated, “The flight landed safely at SLC where local law enforcement removed the disruptive passenger from the aircraft. We thank our crew for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”
The video was also shared on Fox 13 News Facebook page and attracted a lot of comments from people. A person wrote, “He was either so drugged or drunk or both. He can't even speak clearly yet alone not act like a rabid racoon hahaha.” Another one suggested, “I mean, the airlines enable this kinda thing. Ban alcohol from airport grounds, or, simply figure out a way to track how many beverages are being bought while on their trip. Cut people off after a few! Remove the real problem and things would be so much more calm. Alcohol is the real gateway drug. 191 days sober I’m blessed. I’m grateful.”
“Not sure how he boarded a plane honestly. We can't bring shampoo and get felt up, but some erratic drunk dude makes it? Seems our TSA needs to update their terms. Not saying he's dangerous necessarily, just that we should consider the restraints we put on people acting sober and rational…” the third one added.
A comment read, “Where's the duct tape? Obviously this guy was plastered. If you can't drink and behave, then you better not drink before getting on a plane. And most of the people who drink know what kind of drunk they get. I imagine this guy will be banned from flying.” Another one stated, “How was this guy allowed on this flight? I guess he was acting normal before boarding and all the sudden snapped?”