American Airlines Passenger Gropes Woman on Board, Arrested by Police Officers & Tasered: Watch Videos
During the struggle with officers, Garcia attempted to reach for one of the officer’s gun but was unable to remove it from the holster.
A man was tasered and arrested on Sunday night aboard an American Airlines plane in Miami after allegedly groping another passenger inappropriately, according to Miami-Dade police. According to an arrest report, the incident began after 28-year-old Jacob Garcia touched a female passenger on board without her permission. Before taking off the boyfriend of a woman on the plane contacted authorities to say that Jacob Garcia had begun touching her, Miami-Dade Police Sgt. Lazaro Llerena told NBC News.
The flight which was bound for Chicago was still at the gate when crew members began asking Garcia to deplane. Flight attendants attempted to resolve the situation by moving Mr. Garcia to another seat but the report details that he began to ‘scream and insult’ the woman and her boyfriend and the crew was forced to ask all other passengers to deplane for their safety. American Airlines said in a statement, “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.”
In a video recorded by another passenger and posted on social media, Garcia is being held back by three police officers who are attempting to restrain and handcuff him, “What is the reason why you’re removing me from this plane?” One officer in the video struggles with Garcia, gripping him around the neck, to control him while other two officers work on cuffing him.
Watch Video of Man Being Tasered by Police
It appears only one cuff is on Garcia’s hand and he continues to struggle with the police, as one officer warns ‘don’t fight me’. Garcia continues to resist as the officer who warned Garcia reaches for a taser on his belt. The taser doesn’t appear to affect Garcia – at first – who calls the officer ‘a baby’ and tried to grab the device out of the officer’s hand. Eventually, the officers were able to take Garcia into custody. Llerena said that during the struggle with officers, Garcia attempted to reach for one of the officer’s gun but was unable to remove it from the holster.
In the Second Video, Garcia Can be Seen Being Escorted Off the Plane
American Airlines said in a statement that the flight which had been scheduled to depart at 9:30 pm, took off at 10:34 pm, with all remaining passengers. Garcia was later brought to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he was charged with battery, depriving an officer of a firearm, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, officials said. A spokesperson for the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center confirmed that Garcia is being held on a 6,000 dollars bond and does not currently have a court date scheduled.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 24, 2018 11:38 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).