A 67-year-old Arizona realtor went on a racist and homophobic tirade in first-class on an American Airlines flight Thursday night. By the time the plane diverted to Baltimore, the passengers had him zip-tied and duct-taped to his seat.
Arthur Lundeen was flying from Dallas to Newark when witnesses say he started yelling about Jesus and telling people on the flight that they were going to hell. When a Black flight attendant tried to calm him down, Lundeen allegedly called him the N-word and then began using anti-gay slurs, including the F-slur.
The man then turned physical. Lundeen allegedly put his hands around the neck of the passenger sitting beside him, struck the man’s computer and shoved a woman who tried to intervene. Other passengers stepped in to restrain him, including retired law enforcement officer Juan Mejia. The flight crew provided zip ties, and when Lundeen managed to work partly free, a few rolls of duct tape became the next solution. Mejia says Lundeen bit his hand and forearm during the struggle.
Photos from the flight show Lundeen strapped to his first-class seat with duct tape across his torso, wrists and forehead. Police arrested him after the plane landed in Baltimore, and he was charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. The FBI is investigating the incident—including hate crime enhancements.
Long Realty, the real estate brokerage that he worked for terminated its relationship with Lundeen shortly after he was identified.
Lundeen managed to turn a first-class ticket into an arrest, an FBI investigation, unemployment and being duct-taped to a chair in front of a cabin full of strangers—while the internet watched it unfold in near real-time. His opinions were his own. The art project was a group effort.
It turns out hate speech can come with a few restraints.
[source]
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