Arizona realtor arrested after being duct-taped on United States flight that diverted to Baltimore
A 67-year-old Arizona realtor was restrained with duct tape during a mid-flight disturbance on an American Airlines flight that was forced to land in Baltimore, and was arrested shortly after the aircraft arrived.
American Airlines flight 1123, bound for New Jersey, was diverted to Baltimore on Sept. 3 after a passenger became violent about two hours after takeoff from Texas. The passenger, identified as 67-year-old Arthur Layne Lundeen, a realtor from Arizona, shouted homophobic slurs and used the N-word toward a flight attendant, then assaulted other passengers, including his seatmate, a religious author.
Flight crew and other passengers restrained Lundeen, and airline staff applied duct tape to his arms, hands and head to prevent further aggression. Video obtained by a media outlet shows Baltimore police removing the tape and escorting him off the aircraft within about 20 minutes of landing.
"I have never seen someone change in a split second from light to dark as I saw then, as if something had taken him over," the seatmate said in a YouTube interview.
Lundeen was subsequently charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and assault. He was also terminated from his real-estate position after the incident became public.
Authorities have not confirmed whether alcohol or any other substance contributed to the behavior.