Female American Airlines worker is left with permanent scarring after male passenger, 29, ‘punched her repeatedly’ before being escorted off plane
According to a report, a female American Airlines employee was left permanently scarred after a male passenger repeatedly punched her.
The reported incident occurred Monday evening when Bruce Luke Machiavelo, 29, of Fairfield County, Connecticut, was on a flight from Miami to New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
Machiavelo told a flight attendant that he was suffering from panic attacks and that he wanted to retrieve his medication that was in his checked luggage, according to a Miami-Dade police report.
When the attendant explained to the passenger that he would not be able to get his medication, he told her that he had “taken down planes with panic attacks in the past,” the report said.
Machiavelo was then escorted off the plane, arrested and hit with multiple charges, including aggravated battery, disorderly conduct and resisting an officer without violence.
Bruce Luke Machiavelo, 29, reportedly left an American Airlines passenger with permanent scars after repeatedly punching her. He then pushed a gate agent to the ground, police said
The violent incident began after Machiavelo told a flight attendant that he is having panic attacks and needs access to his medications in his checked bag
As he was taken off the plane, Machiavel pushed and yelled at the U.S. airline manager who approached him, police said.
He punched her in the face several times before throwing her to the floor, causing her to hit her head on the aisle, according to authorities. While exiting the plane, Machiavelo also pushed a gate agent to the ground, injuring her hands.
The manager was taken to a nearby hospital with permanent scars on her face and head, the report said.
Officers met the panicked passenger at the gate after American Airlines employees alerted them to the conflict.
They witnessed him lying on the ground kicking and screaming as several passengers held him down.
The suspect initially resisted arrest but was quickly taken into custody before being taken to a hospital, the report said.
When the flight attendant told him he wouldn’t be able to get his medication, Machiavelo said he had “taken down planes with panic attacks in the past,” according to a report.
In response to the manic incident, American Airlines issued a statement saying, “Last night, police were called to Miami International Airport due to a disturbance on the jet bridge where a customer physically assaulted a team member.”
“Acts of violence against our colleagues will not be tolerated by American Airlines and we are committed to working closely with law enforcement authorities in their investigation.”
“Our thoughts are with our team member and we are ensuring they receive the support they need at this time,” the statement said.
According to NBC News, Machiavelo was expected to be jailed after being released from the hospital, but it is unclear if that happened.
DailyMail.com contacted the Miami-Dade Police Department, but officials did not respond to this report in a timely manner.
The latest incident was a series of ongoing cases of bad behavior at airports and on board aircraft.
On Sunday evening, a Southwest Airlines passenger escaped from a stalled plane by opening the emergency hatch and running across the tarmac at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
The unidentified man was arrested Sunday evening at a New Orleans-area airport after he bizarrely tried to escape from a plane’s emergency hatch
After the passenger jumped from the plane, he hoped on the plane’s wing and then sprinted across the tarmac and attempted to hijack an airport service truck.
The 38-year-old man was taken to a hospital for evaluation and authorities say “officers believed he was suffering from a mental health emergency.”
The man has not been named by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, but he is believed to be an Atlanta resident.
Officials said he is not expected to face any criminal charges locally, but the investigation has now been referred to federal authorities.