EasyJet Passenger Tasered After Dispute Erupts Over Hand Luggage At U.K. Airport
An Easyjet passenger was reportedly tasered by police Thursday on an aircraft at Gatwick Airport in England shortly before it was due to take off for Belfast, Ireland.
According to the BBC, police officers boarded the plane early Thursday morning following reports that a passenger had become abusive in an argument over hand luggage.
The EasyJet passenger was arrested on suspicion of breach of the peace and is in custody, a Sussex, England, police spokesman said.
Passenger Tasered and chucked off EasyJet plane this morning in a row over a MAN PURSE http://t.co/jHUxjBf7Pu pic.twitter.com/aWlBz2zHa3
— Daily Star (@Daily_Star) August 20, 2015
According to TTG Digital, EasyJet tweeted a statement following the incident. The tweets have since been deleted.
“While such incidents are rare, we take them very seriously [and] do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour onboard, and always push for prosecution. The safety of passengers and crew is always EasyJet’s priority.”
Witness statements were taken from passengers and crew aboard the plane about what happened between authorities and the EasyJet passenger.
In a statement from the airline, Easyjet said police were called in “due to a passenger behaving disruptively.”
Man ‘tries to take two pieces of hand luggage on to easyJet flight’. Ends up getting tasered http://t.co/w0RUXWK1ip pic.twitter.com/69TEJZdxfg
— Evening Standard (@standardnews) August 20, 2015
Sussex Police issued a statement, as reported by TTG Digital:
“A man is in police custody after being tasered on an aircraft waiting to depart from Gatwick Airport to Belfast on Thursday morning.
“Police officers were called to the EasyJet flight shortly after 8 a.m. to reports of a passenger who was becoming increasingly abusive following a dispute over luggage.
“A man has been arrested on suspicion of breach of the peace. The aircraft has been disembarked and police are taking statements from witnesses among the crew and passengers.”
Passengers were taken off the plane following the arrest of the EasyJet passenger and Flight EZY831 resumed its itinerary three hours after the incidence occurred.
[Image via Twitter/EasyJet]
