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Southwest Airlines fight prompts FAA to threaten criminal charges, zero tolerance for unruly passengers

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Southwest Airlines fight prompts FAA to threaten criminal charges, zero tolerance for unruly passengers


Fists flew on a Monday Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to Kauai, with transportation authorities sharing footage of the incident alongside reminders that unruly passengers can face criminal prosecution and fines of up to $37,000. 

Kauai Police told NBC News that although its officers responded to assist when Flight 1288 landed in Lihue, no criminal charges were pressed. However, the Federal Aviation Administration is assessing potential fines for the parties involved, the “Today” show reported.

“Our department has zero tolerance for violent or unruly behavior aboard an aircraft. If you act out on an airplane, you can face criminal prosecution and fines up to $37,000,” the U.S. Department of Transportation wrote in a post on X following the incident.

AIRLINE TRAVELER SCARES PLANE PASSENGERS IN EMERGENCY EXIT ESCAPE CAUGHT ON VIDEO

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Witnesses say that both men were detained after their plane landed, but it’s not entirely clear what led them to exchange blows. In footage of the incident, a flight attendant and other passengers can be seen stepping in to separate and calm the two men. 

“I heard yelling, screaming and punches. I turned around and saw one man bleeding and then the other man being separated,” Southwest passenger Jim Wieder told Hawaii News Now of the incident. “Frankly, I was a little nervous because we’re 35,000 feet and you’ve got two guys swinging at each other, which makes no sense whatsoever.”

The son of the man throwing many of the punches in the video said his father got into a confrontation with an allegedly drunk passenger who refused to stop bothering his mother, CBS News reported. 

AIRLINE APOLOGIZES AFTER PLACING INNOCENT MAN ON NO-FLY LIST, TATTLING ON HIM TO BOSS

Passengers can be seen intervening as two men aboard Southwest Flight 1288 from Oakland to Lihue started fighting on Monday. (@Kauai.AirBnB via Storyful)

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But regardless of the situation, aviation expert Peter Forman told CBS News, an airplane is “just too dangerous a place to have punches being thrown.”

“Keep in mind that there’s a lot of money involved in turning a plane around,” Forman told the outlet. 

“There’s tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of fuel. Plus the airplane falls behind schedule. It’s going to take maybe a day for that plane to get back on schedule. There’s a lot of disruptions to a lot of travelers, missed connections and things, so its a big deal.”

Threatening and violent incidents on flights have been steadily increasing since 2021, the FAA writes on its page of “unruly passenger statistics.” 

ALASKA AIRLINES PLANE WAS A ‘TIME BOMB,’ SAYS ATTORNEY OF PASSENGERS SUING BOEING, AIRLINE

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Although instances of unruly passengers have decreased since their all-time high in 2021, according to FAA data, they still have yet to sink back down to their pre-pandemic rate. (Federal Aviation Administration)

There have been 206 such incidents thus far in 2024 as of Feb. 11, according to the agency. The 2021 all-time high of 5,973 unruly passengers reported has steadily declined, reaching 2,455 incidents in 2022 and 2,075 in 2023. But disruptions still exceed pre-pandemic rates, FAA data shows. 

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Regardless, Hawaii-based flight attendants told Hawaii News Now that they were surprised the fight happened en route to the vacation destination: 

“I’ve been flying 45 years and, no, it was not like this,” one flight attendant told the outlet. “Probably the worst thing that happened a couple years ago was a passenger taking a couple peanuts.” 

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Washington, D.C

Washington Commanders to pay DC $1M to resolve lawsuit over abusive workplace culture – WTOP News

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Washington Commanders to pay DC M to resolve lawsuit over abusive workplace culture – WTOP News


Brian Schwalb, the District’s attorney general praised the new ownership for rectifying the Commanders’ internal issues.

The former owners of the Washington Commanders will pay the District of Columbia $1 million to resolve a 2022 lawsuit that alleged the NFL franchise misled its fans regarding the team’s toxic and abusive workplace culture in order to protect the its brand.

Dan Snyder still owned the team at the time, and as D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced the settlement Monday, he praised the new owners for rectifying internal issues, including accusations of rampant sexual assault and harassment.

“The Commanders’ current owners have commendably opened a new chapter in the team’s history, committing to ensure all employees are protected from abuse and treated with dignity,” Schwalb said. “I want to thank the victims for coming forward to tell their stories — without their bravery, none of this would have come to light.”

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A group led by Josh Harris purchased the Commanders in 2023 from Snyder, who had faced pressure to sell the team after a series of scandals and decades of perceivable mediocrity on the field.

Since then, new ownership has strengthened the team’s human resources department and implemented an anti-harassment policy and an investigation protocol for complaints of misconduct, Schwalb’s office said in a news release.

Under the agreement, the team will maintain those reforms, along with paying $1 million to D.C.

The NFL separately fined Snyder $60 million in 2023 after its own investigation concluded that he personally engaged in multiple forms of misconduct, including sexual harassment.

D.C.’s suit accused Snyder and the team of misleading the public about what they knew regarding the hostile work environment and Snyder’s role in creating it.

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The Commanders and Snyder deny all the allegations and are not admitting wrongdoing by reaching a resolution, according to the terms of the settlement.

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Austin, TX

Austin downtown shooting: What we know about the gunman, victims and motive

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Austin downtown shooting: What we know about the gunman, victims and motive


A gunman opened fire outside a bar in Austin’s West Sixth Street entertainment district shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, killing two people and injuring 14 others, authorities said.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the suspected gunman drove a large SUV around the block several times before the attack. He then rolled down the windows and began firing a pistol, striking patrons at the bar.

The gunman then parked, exited the vehicle and continued shooting with a rifle, police said.

Paramedics and police arrived within a minute after the first 911 call, Davis said. Officers fatally shot the suspected gunman at the scene.

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Here’s what we know so far.

Who were the victims?

Authorities identified the victims as 24-year-old Saditha Shan and 19-year-old Ryder Harrington, a student at Texas Tech University.

“It is unfair, to say the least, that my little brother was only given 19 years on this earth,” his brother, Reed Harrington, wrote on Facebook. “Watching the man he had become, and seeing all the lives he touched, leaves me certain that this world was robbed of a great future.”

Three people injured during the shooting remained in critical condition Monday, though one is expected to be taken off life support later today, Davis said during a Monday news conference.

Who was the gunman?

Austin police identified the gunman as Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old man originally from Senegal.

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The Department of Homeland Security said Diagne entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2000, became a lawful permanent resident in 2006 after marrying a U.S. citizen and became a naturalized citizen in 2013.

In 2017, Diagne legally purchased the guns he used in the shooting in San Antonio, Davis said.

Diagne was arrested in 2022 on a misdemeanor charge of “collision with vehicle damage,” typically issued when a driver leaves the scene of a crash.

The New York Post reported Diagne was arrested for “illegal vending” in New York City in 2001. Citing unnamed sources, the tabloid said he was arrested in New York three other times between 2008 and 2016, but those records are sealed. The Post did not report on whether he was convicted of any crimes.

Authorities said they expect to release more information on Diagne’s criminal history on Thursday as well as body camera footage and other details related to the officer-involved shooting that led to Diagne’s death.

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What was the motive?

Investigators have not announced a motive. However, Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of FBI San Antonio, said there were indicators that the shooting could be related to terrorism.

Diagne wore a sweatshirt emblazoned with the words “Property of Allah” and a shirt with a design of the Iranian flag, according to the Associated Press. The shooting came hours after the United States and Israel carried out airstrikes in Iran.

What are elected officials saying?

Reactions from Texas politicians have largely fallen along partisan lines. Democrats are calling for stricter gun laws, while some Republicans have focused on the gunman’s immigration history.

After Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico called for proposals such as universal background checks, red flag laws and closing the gun show loopholes that allow for the private sales of firearms at gunshows, Gov. Greg Abbott said the problem wasn’t gun laws but with “unvetted” immigration.

Disclosure: Facebook and Texas Tech University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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Alabama

Air Force base security tightens, AL reacts after attacks in Iran

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Air Force base security tightens, AL reacts after attacks in Iran


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The United States and Israel-led attacks on Iran are having an impact in Central Alabama.

The military actions that began Saturday targets the military forces of Iran and the nation’s ability to build nuclear weapons.

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In Montgomery, Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex have stepped up security so that all entry points will have a 100 percent ID check, the bases said on social media. The Trusted Traveler Program is suspended, which allowed Department of Defense identification holders to vouch for passengers.

Visitors without base access will have to go through the visitor center to get a pass.

Central Alabama residents react to the Iran attacks

For Travis Jackson of Montgomery, the attacks bring back memories, bad memories. He served one tour in Iraq from 2007-2008 with the U.S. Army. He attained the rank of sergeant before leaving the service and has worked the last 10 years as a community activist and diversity, equality and inclusion coordinator.

“I had a flashback of being overseas again,” he said when he first heard news of the attack. “The first thing I thought of was corporate greed. Of yet again seeing what has transpired throughout the years of any war overseas.”

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He feels the attacks are a mistake.

“It’s going to be detrimental to the economy, notably with the increase in oil prices,” he said.

Removing the current regime in Iran and establishing a more western friendly country could improve hopes for a more stable Middle East, said Amy Stephens of Elmore County.

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“I don’t know if there will ever be peace there,” Stephens said. “But Iran has been the causing trouble over there for almost 50 years.”

Ray Roberts of Prattville served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990 and 1991 after Iraq invaded Kuwait. He served in an ordinance company with the Alabama Army National Guard. He was a sergeant when he left the service and now works as a draftsman at a Montgomery manufacturing plant.

“It wasn’t a surprise,” Roberts said of the attacks. “President Trump had said they were coming. When he says something like that, he means it. I am glad we are working with Israel so it’s not just the United States. I wonder if Europe and some of the other Gulf nations will join the attacks.”

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com. To support his work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.

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