More than a year after a violent incident on a JetBlue flight in which Mike Tyson punched a man who was allegedly harassing him, the victim's attorneys have approached the boxing legend seeking a payout.
In a letter addressed to famed attorney Alex Spiro, who represents Tyson, Melvin Townsend's lawyers wrote that they are demanding a $450,000 settlement, in exchange for which Townsend will decline to file a “future lawsuit.”
“If we are unable to reach an agreement, we will continue to prepare Mr. Townsend's case for filing a lawsuit,” wrote Jake Jondle, who represents Townsend.
Spiro responded to the letter, saying only, “I have received a shakedown letter regarding Mike's harassment by an instigator a year ago and its aftermath. There will be no shakedown payment.”
In a video taken on April 20, 2022, Tyson was seen repeatedly punching a man on a plane bound for Florida. The man suffered cuts on his forehead.
It was later revealed that Townsend had previously had a pleasant interaction with Tyson, of whom he is a fan, but the boxer continued to harass in a way that got on Tyson's nerves.
Tyson also claims Townsend threw a water bottle at him, which Townsend denies. Neither has been criminally charged in connection with the incident.
Mike Tyson was caught on camera punching Melvin Townsend repeatedly after becoming irritated by him during a flight to Florida
Townsend is now hoping for a settlement of almost half a million dollars from Tyson
In the letter, Jondle wrote: 'There is no need for a lengthy summary of the events in question – video of Mr Tyson repeatedly punching Mr Townsend is widely available on the internet. In short, we believe that Mr. Townsend was excited to see your client on the run, started talking to him about the marijuana industry and psychedelic mushrooms, and that Mr. Tyson became irritated.
'Mr. Tyson then reached across the chair, grabbed Mr. Townsend by the collar of his shirt and punched him repeatedly in the head.”
The letter included a list of medical complications and costs Townsend faced in the aftermath of the altercation.
Jondle claims his client experienced pain in his head and neck, as well as loss of consciousness, concussion and head bruising. He also suffered from nausea, headaches, depression, memory problems, sleep problems, mood disorders, dizziness and impaired vision in the aftermath of the violent incident.
The document details a number of medical expenses Townsend incurred for treatment in the aftermath of the assault, including visits to a neurologist, a psychologist and a back pain specialist.
The costs outlined in the chart provided by attorneys are approximately $12,500. Townsend did not have health insurance at the time of the altercation, according to his attorneys.
Townsend's lawyers claim that Tyson, the “former undisputed heavyweight champion,” was well aware of his ability to “inflict serious injury on other individuals.”
“There were several remedies available to Mr. Tyson, but he chose violence.”
The letter then cites Tyson's subsequent appearance on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night TV show as evidence that he had made a mistake.
When discussing the plane incident, Tyson said, “Hey, listen, I'm usually good at these things. I was wrong, that should never have happened. That's me in my primitive childhood stages. I shouldn't have done that, but I was just irritated, tired, high, and pissed off. Something's happening.'
Before boarding the flight from San Francisco, Tyson had celebrated the cannabis-themed “holiday” 4/20 on the city's Hippie Hill.
The victim (standing) continuously gestured towards the camera during the incident.
Tyson is seen in a video recording at his breaking point, when he turns around and starts punching Townsend after becoming increasingly irritated by the overzealous fan
Townsend's lawyers claim that Tyson, the 'former undisputed heavyweight champion', was well aware of his ability to 'inflict serious injury on other persons'
The week of the altercation, Tyson was seen leaving the Eden Rock Hotel, where he was led into a waiting car. He was scheduled to attend the Benzinga Cannabis Conference in South Florida
Several weeks after the interaction, San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen M. Wagstaffe decided not to file charges against Tyson.
In a statement at the time, Wagstaffe said his office declined to file battery charges due to “the victim's conduct leading up to the incident, the interaction between Mr. Tyson and the victim, as well as the requests of both the victim and the victim.” and Mr. Tyson.”
Both Tyson and Townsend are ex-cons. Townsend, originally from Punta Gorda, Florida, has served 20- and 15-month prison sentences for a variety of crimes, including possession of Oxycodone, burglary, grand theft, fraud and trafficking in stolen property, a records investigation shows. In a 2018 incident, he stole a trailer by hooking up the unit to his pickup truck.
Townsend was last released from a Florida prison in July 2020 after serving 15 months of a 25-month sentence for that incident and his use of a fraudulent personal identification card. He was previously imprisoned for trafficking in stolen goods in 2009 and 2010.
In 1992, Tyson was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of rape. He was released in 1995 after three years.