An Arizona man accused of spewing racist slurs aboard an American Airlines flight was duct-taped to his seat and restrained with zip ties before the plane diverted to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, according to police and court records.
Layne Lundeen, 67, of Tucson, is charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
“The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we do not tolerate violence,” a spokesperson for American Airlines said in a statement. “We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”
TMZ first reported the incident, which unfolded at about 11 p.m. on Thursday. Maryland Transportation Authority Police were called to Gate C3 at BWI for “an individual displaying disorderly conduct aboard an aircraft.” Lundeen was aboard American Airlines Flight 618 from Dallas to Newark, New Jersey.
Police reported that they found two men restraining Lundeen, whose body was duct-taped to an airplane seat and hands were restricted with zip-ties.
Court records do not detail how he ended up in that situation.
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Witnesses reported that Lundeen “became increasingly unruly,” police allege, spewing profanities and racial slurs, waking up a sleeping passenger and asking another if she loved Jesus.
Two police officers put Lundeen in handcuffs and removed the duct tape and zip ties. That’s when they assert Lundeen hit one of them in the chest.
Lundeen was escorted from the aircraft and booked into jail while his fellow passengers journeyed onto New Jersey.
In a statement, FBI National Security Assistant Special Agent in Charge Marcus Perry said the agency is conducting interviews and will consult with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine if federal charges will be filed.
On Friday, Lundeen appeared before a district court commissioner, who released him on his own recognizance. He could not immediately be reached for comment.
At his initial appearance, Lundeen waived an attorney and reported that he works as a managing partner at a real estate brokerage company, according to court records.
His trial is scheduled for Oct. 19 in the District Court of Maryland for Anne Arundel County in Glen Burnie.
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