A Florida man is accused of viciously attacking a deaf and nonverbal passenger while he was sleeping on a cross-country United Airlines flight earlier this week. The assault occurred nearly two hours into United Airlines Flight 2247 from San Francisco to Dulles International Airport in Virgina on Monday, federal authorities said. The FBI and Federal Aviation Administration are both investigating after the minute-long attack left the male passenger bloodied and with black eyes.
According to a criminal complaint, the incident began after Everett Chad Nelson, 44, left his seat in 35F and got up to use the bathroom in the front of the plane. Upon returning to his seat, Nelson stopped at seat 12F and “without notice, began physically attacking a sleeping male passenger by punching him repeatedly in the face and head until blood was drawn,” the complaint states. Nelson reportedly hit the man repeatedly for a full minute before another passenger intervened and restrained him, while a doctor on the flight treated the non-verbal injured passenger, who was able to communicate with the flight crew using text messages.
Everett later said the passenger had previously attacked him on the street, but the man denied ever having seen him before. Everett was moved to a seat at the front of the aircraft and kept under watch, and was arrested upon arrival charged with one count of assault by beating, striking, and wounding. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
United Airlines said in a statement: “The flight landed safely and was met by paramedics and local law enforcement. 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.”
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