Earlier today I shared the lurid details of a passenger meltdown on a Delta flight from Seattle to Beijing. The question on my mind: would lethal force have been appropriate?
First, let’s be thankful that lethal force was not used–that passengers and crew were able to restrain the reckless passenger without killing him. In no way am I advocating for the use of lethal force when it can be avoided.
But let’s play out the following hypothetical:
The man is on methampetamines and because the drugs eliminate physical pain, he seems to exert superhuman strength. He hurls over four FAs and is somehow able to turn the emergency release lever on the door by 90º (halfway toward opening).
Wine bottles are smashed over his head and hot water showered on him but he remains unfazed. He lunges for the flight deck door, hurling himself against it and denting it.
Every person that runs up to try to stop him is swatted away like a fly, as if in a Marvel Comics movie.
Let’s say you are sitting in first class and still have your meal tray at your table, including your knife. Say your spouse and child are sitting across the aisle.
You grab your knife and sneak up behind the passenger as he is bloodying another one. Do you slit his throat? Stab him the back?
Did he just ask what I think he asked?
I did. I also realize my American values likely shine through even this hypothesis.
But that’s what is on my mind today.
I’m not talking about killing for sport. I’m talking about killing in self-defense, or at least what you reasonably deem necessary for self-defense.
Knowing that a passenger could not really breach the reinforced cockpit door and could not really fully turn and open the aircraft door, is the threat against other passengers in my hypothetical sufficient to use lethal force?
I’d argue the answer is yes, if all other remedies are exhausted. I’d argue that if the passenger could not be subdued and threatened the lives of others, he already forfeited the claim to his own life.
Yet I’d also point out the downside. What if the reckless passenger grabs the knife from you and stabs you with it and then proceeds to stab others? Scary thoughts…
CONCLUSION
I know that’s a heavy question and I’ll move on to a more light-hearted flight review for my next post. But don’t dismiss it, especially if your initial reaction is one of horror that I would even ask the question. Imagine having to make the split-second decision to defend your loved ones against someone who seemed absolutely lethal.
It’s a position I hope none of us ever find ourselves in…
Lol. Like a meal service knife is going to do any harm.
It could if applied efficiently to the jugular.
No doubt about it in my mind. At that point you do whatever you can to save your family and the other passengers.
+1
Absolutely. I’m a cop and I can tell you people have no clue what someone high on pcp or other stuff can do to you. No clue.
A superhuman rampage in metal tube high above ground and my family is in the metal tube? I don’t need a cutlery, a pen or sharp pencil might trigger me. Maybe use my belt to choke the neck.
Its do or die situation.
Sure, the monster can’t go into cockpit or open the door due to high pressure. What else he/she can do if she/he can’t get what he/she wants? Hurting another passenger? Running amok in the cabin?
Off course your question is highly hypothetical. Flight in USA is always safe. You got TSA to screen potentially dangerous goods, you got air marshall in high risk route. Even FAs are there for the safety of passenger. Right?
I believe this happened already, no? If I recall correctly, shortly post 9/11, a crazy guy rushed the cockpit. A bunch of passengers subdued him. He was a big dude, so to make sure he couldn’t get up, people sat on him. He ended suffocating and dying.
If they take the entire armrest; absolutely.
Actually, on a Southwest flight, in 2000, there was a similar incident, where a passenger not only tried to open a door, but charged the cockpit door. The passengers attacked him, and stomped him to death. The FBI ruled that it was justifiable homicide. Unfortunately, the airlines are to blame for some of these problems. First of all, passengers should not be expected to be pugilists, or to be proficient in combative techniques. The flight crew should be trained in karav maga, judo, karate, etc. On El Al Airlines, the entire flight crew is trained in combative techniques. In addition, there are several armed guards on every flight. It appears that there are very flew air marshalls or guards on our domestic or
international flights. It appears that the airlines do not want to lose revenue, from the seats, that the air marshalls would be occupying. For example, about two months after 9/11/01, the shoe bomber, Richard Reeves tried to blow up an American Airlines flight, over the North Atlantic. It took at least 6-8 passengers to restrain that psycho. There was not one armed guard or air marshall on that flight. Last, the airlines insist on serving alcoholic beverages on flights, because it is a revenue producer. They know that alcohol causes some passengers to act violent, as was the case here. Yet, they choose to look the other way, and complain, when these incidents occur.
you just need to (group effort) get him face down on the ground-that is how we dealt with psychotic.patients in pysch hospital land!!!they cannot strike out to you if on the ground .then you can get their hands restrained also an sit on them(carefully -do not impede breathing) till more help arrives
I’ll echo what Will said above. My son is a police officer and has dealt with people on some of these disassociative drugs. Effects vary based on drug, dosage, and the individual. In many cases the user becomes more of a danger to themselves but violate behavior with reduced response to pain is also common. Less than lethal options are limited in the tight spaces at altitude- tasers are not often effective. The best of the bad options is a properly applied choke hold sufficient to produce unconsciousness but brain damage and death are real possibilities, followed by lots of zip ties. A portable oxygen tank or fire extinguisher used as a blow to the head is more effective than a wine bottle but potentially fatal. All these approaches assume a level of training in the use of force that is uncommon in international first class passengers, as is an immediate willingness to use force when called for. A request over the PA for those with police or military training might have been in order, although in a possible multi-terrorist scenario there are drawbacks too.