Caught on camera: 'Unruly passenger' escorted off Charlotte plane for refusing to wear mask

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Friday, June 18, 2021
Unruly passenger escorted off NC plane for refusing to wear mask
Unruly passenger escorted off NC plane for refusing to wear maskA fellow passenger on the flight from Nashville to Charlotte, Joe Timmons, tells ABC News that the "passenger refused to wear a mask and became verbally abusive in flight."

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Video shows the aftermath of an 'unruly passenger' being escorted off a Southwest Airlines plane by Charlotte police after a fight broke out over the mask requirement.

A fellow passenger on the flight from Nashville to Charlotte, Joe Timmons, tells ABC News that the "passenger refused to wear a mask and became verbally abusive in flight."

The Charlotte Police Department said officers only assisted in resolving the incident and "no passengers were arrested or charged."

In a statement, Southwest wrote: "Our reports indicate that two customers were engaged in a verbal altercation onboard Flight #730 from Nashville to Charlotte on Thursday. As a result, local law enforcement officers were asked to meet the flight upon arrival."

The recent incident is only the latest in a series of aggressions on airplanes.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that airlines have reported 3,000 cases of disruptive passengers this year, and the vast majority -- 2,300 -- involve people who refused to wear a mask. The highest number of potential violations of federal law since they began keeping records in 1995.

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