Houston police detained a passenger at Hobby Airport who was accused of causing an incident on board a Delta flight.
HOUSTON — A man who caused a disturbance aboard a Delta Air Lines flight out of Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport Wednesday morning will not face criminal charges, authorities said.
Houston police said the decision came after the man underwent a mental health evaluation. Officers took him into custody after the plane returned to the gate early Wednesday morning.
The incident unfolded around 5:25 a.m. when Delta Flight 2557, bound for Atlanta, departed Hobby with 85 passengers and five crew members aboard. Shortly after takeoff, the man began acting erratically. Fellow passengers restrained him until the Boeing 717 turned around and returned to the airport, where police were waiting at Gate 32.
Delta said in a statement that the passenger exhibited “unruly and unlawful behavior toward other customers” but did not attempt to access the cockpit.
Bryan Escobedo, a Houston military veteran and Purple Heart recipient, said he heard screaming and saw flight attendants appearing distressed. Escobedo said the man lunged across seats toward the front of the aircraft. He asked a flight attendant if he could help.
“I jumped on him to start pulling him back,” Escobedo said. “I ripped his shirt off — I didn’t mean to do that — but I was trying to get a hold of him.”
One passenger, Josh Lemastus, told KHOU 11’s sister station 11Alive that he was among those attacked during the incident.
“I’m just sitting there, and a guy walks aggressively by me and aggressively back, and he bumps into my shoulder and starts wailing on my head,” Lemastus said.
“He punched me three times and then walked back and then started attacking another gentleman behind me.”
Lemastus said the man’s behavior suggested he was experiencing some kind of mental episode.
“He started screaming at the guy behind me, and kind of like in tongues. And then everyone assumed that he was just kind of not mentally there,” Lemastus said.
Delta said in a statement that the safety of its customers and crew is its top priority.
“We apologize to our customers for this experience and delay in their travels,” the airline said.
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