An Oregon man was arrested and charged on July 3 after allegedly exposing himself to passengers on an American Airlines plane that then made an emergency landing, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
American Airlines informed the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority (NFTA) Police on July 3 that a man had “exposed himself and urinated in the aisle of the aircraft while the plane was in flight,” according to the release.
The aircraft was diverted from its intended destination of Manchester, New Hampshire, to Buffalo, New York.
Upon landing, an officer boarded the airplane and spoke to a flight attendant, who informed them of the alleged incident.
Mr. McCarthy was taken into custody and escorted off the aircraft.
He appeared in court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy later that day and was released on his own recognizance.
In an email to The Epoch Times, an American Airlines spokesperson said the incident occurred on American Eagle flight 3921, which is operated by Envoy Air.
The plane had taken off from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, the spokesperson said.
They confirmed the flight was diverted from its intended destination of Manchester to Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) due to a “disruptive customer.”
“The aircraft was met by law enforcement upon arrival at BUF and re-departed shortly after,” the spokesperson said. “We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”
The aircraft landed without further incident.
A criminal complaint states that Mr. McCarthy told officers he was flying from Portland, Oregon, to Manchester, and had consumed several glasses of whiskey and cola before boarding the flight.
He told officers he consumed more whiskey and cola during a layover in Chicago, according to the criminal complaint.
Mr. McCarthy allegedly told officers he got up from his seat on the flight to use the restroom and was coming back to his seat, but he has a medical urination problem, according to the criminal complaint.
According to court documents, Mr. McCarthy is legally represented by Jeffrey Badgley, a public defender.
The Epoch Times has contacted the Department of Justice and Mr. Badgley for further comment.
