Man tasered on American Airlines flight after 'groping female passenger'

Arrest: A video filmed on the plane showed three officers attempting to detain the passenger before he was tasered
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Chloe Chaplain24 April 2018

A man on an American Airlines was tasered and arrested after allegedly groping a female passenger.

The Chicago-bound flight was still at the gate in Miami International Airport on Sunday night when a male passenger reported that someone had inappropriately touched his girlfriend.

American Airlines said the flight attendants asked passengers to disembark the plane after the suspect, identified as 28-year-old Jacob Garcia, refused to move seats and began screaming insults.

A scuffle then broke out with the boyfriend of the woman and Garcia – who had been accused of “fondling” her.

Jacob Garcia in Miami. Garcia, a passenger on an American Airlines flight bound for Chicago was removed following an incident
AP

NBC shared a video, filmed by a passenger, showing Garcia being held back by three police officers while he asked: "What is the reason you're removing me from this plane?"

Another person is heard saying: "Well, you just assaulted a lady, for one."

"American began the process of deplaning the entire aircraft. During that process, a physical altercation between the same two passengers took place. Once law enforcement was on the aircraft, the passenger then became combative with the officers," American Airlines said in a statement.

The video shows the suspect struggling with police as they try to hold him down, before one officer gets out his taser and uses it on Garcia.

Sergeant Lazaro Llerena, from Miami-Dade police, told NBC that during the struggle Garcia had attempted to reach for one of the officer's gun but was unable to remove it from the holster.

The suspect was charged with battery, depriving an officer of a firearm, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, police said.

American Airlines said in its statement it followed its normal procedures after the “disagreement” between passengers broke out, and said the flight departed with the remaining passengers about an hour after the scheduled time.

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