Airline passenger honored for tackling man in flight assault

EXETER, N.H. — An airline passenger who helped deal with a person making an attempt stab a flight attendant with a damaged metallic spoon was honored Friday by his hometown police division in New Hampshire.

Jeff Neil, a former bouncer who now works for a software program firm, obtained the “Citizen Award” for his actions earlier this month, which had been caught on video by one other passenger.

At a ceremony in Exeter, Neil stated he would not contemplate himself a hero however acknowledged the importance of what occurred.

“I actually was in the proper place on the proper time,” he stated.

Neil’s spouse Libby was sitting with him on the airplane. She stated she wasn’t shocked he jumped into motion.

“We each knew that he can be getting up,” she stated.

Francisco Severo Torres, 33, of Leominster, Massachusetts, was arrested and accused of attacking a flight attendant and trying to open the door of United Airways Flight 2609. The airplane was about 45 minutes from Boston when the crew observed the door deal with had been moved out of the totally locked place.

Investigators stated Torres admitted realizing that if he opened the door many individuals would die. He awaits a psychological well being analysis.

Within the video, Torres will be seen loudly threatening to kill individuals and promising a “massacre” earlier than saying he was “taking up this airplane” and getting into the aisle.

Seated one row again, Neil instantly jumped up and tried to calm Torres and defuse the state of affairs.

Prosecutors say Torres approached two flight attendants and attacked one in all them. Neil and a number of other different passengers rushed to the attendant’s support and tackled Torres, then held him down till the flight obtained to Boston.

Exeter Police Chief Stephan Poulin stated Neil “exemplified what it means to be each a hero and a frontrunner.”