A sleeping United Airlines passenger was beaten bloody by fellow flyer
A passenger with disabilities was assaulted during a United Airlines (UAL) flight from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., earlier this week. KGO-TV (DIS), the local ABC affiliate in the San Francisco Bay Area, reports that the passenger, who is hard of hearing and non-verbal, was beaten by a fellow flyer so badly that blood was splattered around the cabin.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is looking into the assault, told the station that the disabled passenger was asleep when another flyer began repeatedly punching him. The victimwas able to get help by communicating with a flight crew member using his phone. Though shaken, he was not hospitalized from his injuries.
“United Airlines Flight 2247 safely landed at Dulles International Airport in Virginia after the crew reported a passenger disturbance on Monday, Oct. 28 at 1:40 p.m. local time,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement about the incident.
In a statement provided to Quartz, United said that “thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, one passenger was restrained after becoming physically aggressive toward another customer on a flight from San Francisco to Washington Dulles on Monday,” adding that “the flight landed safely and was met by paramedics and local law enforcement.”