The man who was tasered on a Jetstar flight in front of his wife and young child claimed to have been given “permission” by another passenger to switch seats, as a shocked witness described how the situation quickly escalated.
Bolic Bet Malou, 30, was on flight JQ977 from Perth to Melbourne on Saturday when a flight attendant asked if he could move to his assigned seat.
The father, who was sitting next to his one-year-old son, told the flight attendant that he and the man sitting in his assigned seat had agreed to switch places.
The situation quickly escalated after staff demanded Mr Malou to move, but his refusal to do so resulted in several Australian Federal Police officers storming the plane.
Shocking footage shows the father being dragged from his seat and tasered in front of shocked passengers as his wife screams, “What are you doing? You hurt him!’
Mr Malou was charged with disorderly conduct, assaulting a police officer and obstructing a public official after allegedly being insulted on the flight.
The father told the Today Show on Wednesday that he had obtained permission from the passenger in his assigned seat and thought the problem had been resolved.
Bolic Bet Malou, 30, was tasered and escorted off a Jetstar flight from Perth to Melbourne on Sunday night after refusing to move away from his family to his assigned seat
“He said to the crew member, ‘It’s okay, we’re all going to the same place.’ She asked him “Are you sure?” and the man said yes, so she left,’ Mr Malou explained.
“She came back again and she said, ‘Can you please move?’ I told her ‘we already solved the problem, the man said it’s ok and gave me his consent’.
“She told me to leave and I said, ‘Ma’am, I haven’t done anything wrong, I don’t have to leave, I just want to sit here with my family.'”
Host Karl Stefanovic asked Mr. Malou, “Why didn’t you just move at that point?”
“I thought I was in the right seat,” he replied.
“We were already on the wrong plane and all the seats were shaken. When she told me I wasn’t [in the right seat] I have asked permission.’
Australian Federal Police officers were called to the runway following reports of a ‘disorderly and aggressive passenger’ after Mr Malou told airline staff he was unwilling to move seats
Jordan Vendy, who witnessed the violent scuffle on the Jetstar flight, said Mr Malou was “pretty fair” to flight attendants before the situation escalated.
“He explained that nobody had any problems with the seating arrangement as it was,” he said.
‘Mr Malou himself and everyone around him was happy with the situation and where they were, so I didn’t realize what the problem was.
“It seems to have escalated for no other reason than a shuffling of chairs. I think it’s totally out of proportion for something so small.’
Footage from the plane shows police officers storming the cabin and forcibly removing Mr Malou before using a taser in an attempt to subdue him.
Footage shows officers storming the plane and forcibly attempting to remove Malou before he is tasered while his wife is heard screaming, “What are you doing? You hurt him!’
He was then put in a headlock and escorted from the plane writhing in pain.
‘It went so fast. Within moments it spilled over into the aisle, into my seat and my section. I didn’t see it coming,” said Mr. Vendy.
The AFP said they had to restrain Mr Malou after he assaulted an officer.
“Police had to deploy a taser to restrain and arrest the man,” the AFP said in a statement.
“Three AFP officers suffered minor injuries that were later treated.”
Jetstar thanked other passengers on board for their patience during the arrest.
Bolic Bet Malou (pictured outside court on Monday) was tasered on board a JetStar flight from Perth to Melbourne for refusing to move seats
“The safety of our customers and crew is our number one priority and while the vast majority of our customers are well behaved, we have zero tolerance for those who don’t,” a spokesman said.
Our crew called the AFP for help when a customer (allegedly) became verbally and physically abusive after repeatedly refusing to follow their instructions to go to their assigned seat.
“After checking the well-being of the other passengers and crew on board, the flight departed Perth approximately one hour after its scheduled departure time.
“We thank passengers for their patience as our crew worked with AFP to manage the situation.”
Mr Malou appeared in court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct, assaulting a police officer and obstructing public office.
He has been banned from flying until the case is resolved and is not allowed to leave Perth until July 26.