Camp Lejeune Marines subdue hostile passenger on international flight

LOS ANGELES — Three Camp Lejeune Marines are being credited for subduing a hostile passenger on the flight from Japan to Texas on Monday.

Capt. Daniel Kult, Sgt. John Dietrick, and Pfc. Alexander Meinhardt of 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, were traveling back to the U.S. from a deployment program in Okinawa, according to news outlets.

The Marine Corps said a man on the flight barricaded himself in the restroom and made threatening comments.

"While watching a movie during my flight from Japan to Texas, I started to hear screaming coming from the restroom on board," said Dietrick. "When I took off my headphones, I heard a man sounding very distraught and screaming from the bathroom."

The three Marines waited outside the restroom while a crewmember unlocked the door. They grabbed the man and restrained him with flex ties.

"I knew I had to step in when he became a danger to others and himself," said Meinhardt. "I didn't think twice about helping restrain him through the rest of the flight."

The flight was diverted to Los Angeles International Airport and the passenger was taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation.

"We are well trained and it paid off today," said Kult. "We just assessed the situation and acted. Working with the flight crew, we got the door open and from there worked together to subdue him. We didn't take time to talk it over. We just got ready and did what we needed to help."

The incident is pending investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Los Angeles.

Passenger stunned at lack of social distancing on full flight to Charlotte Passenger stunned at lack of social distancing on full flight to Charlotte

© 2020 Cox Media Group