May 19 (UPI) — An off-duty police officer Friday subdued a Turkish man who attempted to break down the cockpit door aboard an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Hawaii, police said.
There were no injuries and the man was arrested after the plane made its scheduled landing in Honolulu, though the disturbance prompted the Air Force to scramble two F-22 fighter jets from the Hawaiian Air National Guard to serve as a military escort for the flight as it passed over the open waters of the Pacific and the Hawaiian Islands.
Police at Los Angeles International Airport said the suspect had been detained at LAX after breaching a secure area of the airport. Police determined he was drunk, but allowed him to board his flight.
A passenger aboard the flight posted a video of agents in FBI shirts taking the suspect off the plane in handcuffs.
“Due to a disturbance during the flight, the crew requested that law enforcement meet the aircraft upon landing in Honolulu,” American said in a statement.
The officer who detained the man is a member of the Honolulu police department. Neither he nor the suspect were identified.
