nickkrause08/Twitter(BURBANK, Calif.) — Cellphone video taken on a Southwest Airlines flight on Sunday shows the moment two passengers got into a violent altercation after the plane landed in Burbank, California.
Flight 2530 originated in Dallas and was on a stopover in Burbank before it headed to Oakland, according to the Burbank Police Department. A fight ensued between the two men as the plane taxied to the gate to deplane passengers who were not continuing on to Oakland, police said.
It is unclear how the altercation began, police said. During a verbal exchange, the suspect assaulted the other passenger, and the alleged victim sustained a contusion to his left eye, a laceration to his nose and a chipped tooth, police said.
The alleged victim performed a citizen’s arrest on the suspect before airport police moved in and arrested the man for assault and battery, police said. The suspect was then handed over to Burbank police.
The suspect was identified as 37-year-old Chaze Cable, a resident of Lancaster, California. The Burbank City Attorney charged Cable with two counts of misdemeanor battery, which carries a maximum punishment of 180 days in jail per count, said Denny Wei, a senior assistant city attorney with the Burbank City Attorney’s Office.
Cable pleaded not guilty in court Tuesday, Wei told ABC News. His pretrial court appearance has been scheduled for May 24.
Cable is still in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles without bail under a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation hold, jail records show.
Video posted to Twitter appears to show two men involved in the altercation as a woman tries to restrain one. The pair then move to another row of seats and one of the men is seen repeatedly hitting the other before multiple passengers step in to break them apart.
Southwest Airline fight @ Burbank Airport pic.twitter.com/FvQcgExKyR
— Nick Krause (@nickkrause08) May 7, 2017
In a statement, Southwest said it is “grateful” to employees who “quickly reacted” to break up the flight. Southwest described the passenger’s injuries as “minor” but said he was able to travel onward.
“Our employees are our everyday heroes and are trained to de-escalate conflict while delivering heartfelt Hospitality on nearly 4000 flights to nearly the half-million customers who fly Southwest every day,” the airline said.
ABC News could not immediately reach Cable for comment.
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