Federal Grand Jury Indicts Unruly Southwest Passenger
LUBBOCK (AP) – A federal grand jury has indicted a Florida man on a charge of interfering with a flight crew after his unruly behavior aboard a Southwest Airlines flight led to an emergency landing in Texas.
U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldana said 29-year-old Ali Reza Shahsavari of Indialantic, Fla., made his initial court appearance Thursday, two days after his arrest at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport.
An indictment says Shahsavari became disruptive during a flight from Los Angeles to Kansas City, Mo., intimidating crew members by screaming profanities and damaging a lavatory.
Attorney Jeff Blackburn says Shahsavari had a nervous breakdown while on his way to Florida for mental health treatment, calling it “a tragic case of a poor young guy who is mentally ill.”
A detention hearing is set for Tuesday.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)