A federal air marshal says a man who was arrested after causing a disturbance on a San Francisco-bound American Airlines flight twice tried to open the cockpit door.
In this image captured by citizen journalist Andrew Wai, passengers, top right, subdue a man identified as Rageh Almurisi (not pictured) aboard an American Airlines flight bound for San Francisco on Sunday. Federal investigators are looking into the background of Almurisi, a Northern California resident with a Yemeni passport, who pounded on the cockpit door of an American Airlines flight as it was preparing to land. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal air marshal says a man who was arrested after causing a disturbance Sunday during a San Francisco-bound American Airlines flight twice tried to open the cockpit door, the second time after a crew member told him that the restroom was to his left.
In a court affidavit filed on Monday, Paul Howard says Rageh Al-Murisi (rah-GAY al-moor-EE'-see) then made eye contact with the crew member, lowered his shoulder and rammed the door. He says the crew member got between Al-Murisi and the door, but Al-Murisi kept yelling and pushing forward in an attempt to open it.
The 28-year-old Murisi was subdued and taken into custody after the flight landed safely at San Francisco International Airport.
Federal investigators said they are looking into the background of Almurisi, a Northern California resident with a Yemeni passport. He was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in California on a charge of interfering with flight crew.