Retired police chief helps subdue passenger after alleged midair outburst over alcohol cutoff
Retired Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara found himself back in crisis mode Thursday, not on the streets of Mill City, but 35,000 feet in the air, when what should have been a routine United Airlines flight suddenly turned chaotic.
O'Hara told Fox News Digital he watched flight attendants spend nearly 45 minutes trying to de-escalate an increasingly belligerent passenger, prompting him and two off-duty Bergen County, New Jersey, sheriff's deputies to intervene.
The retired police chief, who was traveling with his wife aboard United Flight 1364 from Newark to Fort Lauderdale, said the passenger repeatedly berated flight attendants, tried to get out of his seat and behaved erratically as crew members worked to keep the situation under control.
"About like for the last 45 minutes of the flight ... all the flight attendants came over, and they were incredible," O'Hara told Fox News Digital. "Incredibly professional, just trying to talk to this guy to de-escalate things."
According to O'Hara, the passenger became increasingly agitated after flight attendants refused to serve him more alcohol, a detail O'Hara said he later learned from the Broward Sheriff's Office after the arrest. The man reportedly continued shouting profanities and making threatening remarks before the encounter turned physical.
"It was infuriating to hear a man speak to these women who were just incredibly professional and trying to keep everybody safe that way for so long," O'Hara said. "And, finally, he just kind of got up and lunged towards them."
That's when two passengers seated near the back of the aircraft grabbed the man from behind as O'Hara rushed forward from his seat.
OFF-DUTY TROOPER AND ARMED CITIZEN HAILED AS HEROES AFTER RETURNING FIRE ON IN-N-OUT GUNMAN
The three men worked together to restrain the passenger using plastic flex cuffs before securing him back in his seat, so the flight attendants could take their seats and the plane could land safely.
O'Hara later learned the two passengers were Bergen County Sheriff's deputies from New Jersey.
United Airlines also confirmed the incident in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"Local law enforcement met United Flight 1364 upon its arrival in Fort Lauderdale to address an unruly passenger," the airline said. "We thank our crew and customers for assisting with the situation and helping ensure the safety of everyone onboard."
The airline said the Boeing 737-900 was carrying 174 passengers and six crew members, including two pilots and four flight attendants.
While cellphone video of the confrontation has circulated widely on social media, O'Hara said it doesn't capture the nearly hour-long effort by the flight crew to peacefully resolve the situation before passengers stepped in.
"No one should take the kind of verbal abuse that they did," he said. "They were absolute professionals trying to keep everybody safe."
O'Hara, who spent 25 years in law enforcement before retiring after leading public safety operations in Newark, New Jersey, and later serving as Minneapolis police chief, said the incident underscored just how dangerous violent outbursts can become aboard an aircraft.
"I started to think, ‘Well, geez, what are we going to do if somebody really wants to fight the whole time?’" he said. "It's dangerous. We're in such a confined space like that, and someone's going to act out like that because you don't know potentially what the motivation might be."
His wife, who is a lieutenant with the Newark Police Department, was seated nearby throughout the ordeal.
"The only thing I was thinking about was if this goes bad, I know at least she has my back," O'Hara said with a laugh, adding he has seen her "handle herself on the street" and knew she would be ready if the situation worsened.
Afterward, O'Hara's wife praised her husband's actions in a social media post.
"Proud of my husband today," she wrote. "When a disruptive passenger created a dangerous situation on a flight, he stepped up to help federal agents safely arrest him. Leadership isn’t just about the job you hold, it’s about being willing to help when others need it. Grateful everyone on board arrived safely."
Looking back on the incident, O'Hara said he hopes Americans choose action over standing by when innocent people are in danger.
9/11 MUSEUM CEO REFLECTS ON LASTING IMPACT OF TERROR ATTACKS AS AMERICA MARKS 250TH BIRTHDAY
"We're coming up on the 25th anniversary of September 11," he said. "I would hope everybody in this country now knows that if things are escalating to the point where there's going to be some kind of violence, I think every citizen that is able to has a duty to try and help to stop it."
He also said airlines should ensure restraints are readily available and that crew members are trained to use them if passengers become violent.
"I think it would be good to make sure that they have restraints that are available, that at least some people are trained in some way to use them safely to get somebody restrained if they needed to," O'Hara said.
As of Thursday afternoon, authorities had not publicly identified the passenger or announced any criminal charges.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Broward Sheriff's Office and the Federal Aviation Administration for additional information and comment.