An anti-mask Delta passenger is facing up to 20 years in prison after taking his disagreement with the US mask mandates to a whole new level by for allegedly assaulting crew members and other passengers during a flight from Dublin to New York City.
Citing the criminal complaint, Law And Crime reported that Shane McInerney threw an anti-mask tantrum for the record books over the U.S. federal regulations mandating that he wear a mask. His final destination was Florida, where he was taking a job teaching soccer at an academy in Daytona, a person familiar with the matter said.
According to court documents unsealed on Friday, McInerney refused to comply “despite being asked dozens of times by flight crew personnel.” He then became enraged and “threw an empty beverage can at another passenger, mooned a flight attendant and put a cap on the flight’s captain, who is identified as “individual 4” in the affidavit.
After hitting the head of a passenger described as “Individual-1” with the empty can, McInerney kicked the back of the seat in front of him, disturbing “Individual-2,” prosecutors say. He then allegedly walked up from his economy-class seat to the Delta One-class section in front of him, where he complained about the foot to another passenger and a flight attendant, according to the FBI.
When he was escorted back to his seat, McInerney “pulled down his pants and underwear and exposed his buttocks” to a flight attendant identified as “Individual-3” and “passengers sitting nearby.”
the FBI affidavit alleges that “approximately two hours into the flight, Individual-4, the flight captain, was on his break and spoke with the defendant. During the conversation, the defendant twice took off his cap, placed the cap on Individual-4’s head, and removed it from Individual-4’s head. The defendant also put one of his fists up close to Individual-4’s face and said: ‘Don’t touch me.’”
Authorities say that the disruptions continued to the bitter end “In addition, the defendant disobeyed the orders of flight attendants as the airplane was on final approach to JFK’s runway, when the flight crew members, flight attendants, and passengers were buckled into their seats. Instead of remaining seated, the defendant stood up, left his seat, entered the aisle, and refused to sit back down,” the affidavit states.
Read the original report on Law And Crime.
