Violent passenger stopped by flight attendant with coffee pot tried using plastic knife as ‘shank’

Juan Rivas allegedly tried to open the door of the aircraft while brandishing a plastic knife

A California man has been charged after he allegedly tried to open the door during an American Airlines flight, leading passengers and crew onboard to subdue him and forcing the flight to be diverted to Kansas.

Juan Remberto Rivas, 50, who was traveling from Los Angeles to Washington DC on Sunday afternoon, has been charged with assault, intimidating a flight attendant and interfering in the performance of the flight attendant’s duties, showed court documents.

In a press statement, the US district attorney’s office for the western district of Missouri said on Monday that Mr Rivas had been arrested, remains in custody and is awaiting a yet-to-be-scheduled hearing.

Mr Rivas had allegedly tried to grab the handles used to manipulate the forward starboard aircraft exit door, said the statement quoting an affidavit filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Mr Rivas positioned one foot on the aircraft door and began pulling hard on the handle with one hand, at first, and then both of his hands, the affidavit said.

In order to stop him, a flight attendant grabbed a coffee pot and hit Mr Rivas twice on the head with it while several other passengers came forward to assist, prosecutors said.

Among the passengers was a police officer, who pulled the unruly passenger away from the door.

“A passenger punched Rivas in the jaw and another passenger grabbed his neck and pulled him to the floor. Passengers and flight attendants restrained Rivas until they could secure his hands and feet with zip ties and duct tape,” the statement said.

Witnesses said Mr Rivas was calm at the start of the journey, but the incident began with about two-and-a-half hours of the flight, according to the affidavit.

Mr Rivas allegedly went up to the front of the aircraft and asked for the police, a flight attendant was quoted as saying in the affidavit.

He said he wanted to move to first class as he did not trust anyone and there were “people out to get me”, the witness added.

He was informed by the flight attendant that while he could not be moved to first class, he could be moved further down the plane.

A short time later, however, Mr Rivas returned to the front of the aircraft and complained that the plane was not moving or flying.

When he was told to look outside to confirm that the plane was indeed in flight, he grabbed a bottle, eating utensils and a “plastic silverware” knife from the galley counter.

He removed the napkin wrapped around it and “placed the plastic silverware in his shirt sleeve and was holding it like a shank,” the flight attendant said.

“He then grabbed a small champagne bottle by the neck of the bottle and attempted to break the bottle on the counter.”

He subsequently used his left hand to lift the handle on the right-side exit door before he was restrained by passengers and crew.

Another flight attendant said in the affidavit that Mr Rivas had stated that people were “attempting to hurt him and they followed him onto the plane”.

He added that he had heard the individuals harming his family over the telephone before he attempted to open the exit door.

While the flight had to be diverted to Kansas, attendants told investigators that Mr Rivas was not intoxicated.

He has received medical treatment for lacerations on his head that he suffered when he was subdued on the flight.

“We’re grateful to our crew members, who are consistently dedicated to the safety and care of our customers and who handled the circumstances with the utmost skill and professionalism,” American Airlines said in a statement.