An agitated man on a United Airlines flight allegedly bit the ear off one passenger and broke the nose of another during a bloody brawl likely fueled by drugs.
United Airlines Passenger Goes On Attack, Bites Ear Off Seatmate
Here’s a summary of what occurred as first reported by WCSC 5, the CBS affiliate in Charleston:
- The incident occurred on United Airlines flight 728 from Newark to Miami on Wednesday morning
- In-flight, the man rose to use the lavatory
- According to his seatmate, he “seemed very agitated” when he returned
- The man became “restless” and “bounced around his seat”
- He then requested water from a flight attendant and stood up to retrieve some pills from his bag in the overhead bin
- When he sat back down, he began to “scream and thrash around”
- His seatmate held up his arm to protect himself, but was struck with a closed first on the right side of his face
- That impact broke his glasses
- The man then ripped into his seatmate’s ear, causing deep lacerations (the police report uses the phrase “bitten off”)
- Other passengers restrained the man
- During the altercation, the passenger purportedly broke the nose of another passenger
- A third passenger was punched in the head
- Passnegers secured the man with zip ties and a belt and he was held, face-down on the floor
- The captain diverted the flight to Charleston
- Police arrested the man, John Yurkovich, and found 1.5 grams of methamphetamine in his pocket
- He was charged with possession with intent to distribute
- His bond has been set at $50,000
It still isn’t clear how and at what moment the seatmate’s ear was attacked. I’ve reached out to United Airlines for more info.
CONCLUSION
What a horrible story–and nothing to do with masks. It is a bit scary to think you can be sitting on a flight, minding your own business, and suddenly be viciously attacked by your seatmate. But welcome to 2021!
image: Al Cannon Detention Center
Well I mean if he bit somebody’s ear off he probably wasn’t wearing a mask though so strike three.
Well he is allowed to remove the mask while eating, goes for eating his seatmates ear as well i suppose
He wasn’t charged with battery with serious injury? Strange they only filed the drug charge. However, might be a jurisdictional issue. May be federal charges forthcoming.
I’ve reached out to Charleston PD for more details.
$50,000 bond? You gotta be effing kidding me. The guy ripped off somebody’s ear, which at least in my book calls for being remanded without bail.
I wonder if they’ll find drug packets in his stomach. I recall a similar story of an agitated passenger biting off his seatmate a few years ago. Turns out the agitated person was a drug mule with cocaine packets in his stomach.
Typical New Jersey Italian. There’s a reason why them, and the Irish, were always considered lower class.
John Yurkovich… yeah, sounds like a real paisan…
LOL
Hopefully this turd earns a spot on the no-fly list. Permanently.
Who knows? Maybe he was refused a snack box.
I hear he gave his seatmate an earful. Gotta lobe United.
“His seatmate help up his arm to protect himself, but was struck with a closed first …”
SOS for some editing before final approval plz
Fixed. Thanks.
I’m not defending his behavior, but there’s clearly an addiction at play here. Intent to distribute is surely a felony, so he’ll get locked up, only to be released in a little while with no network of support, and no company willing to hire him. Alone and broke, he will inevitably commit crimes further down the road, all due to an addiction he cannot overcome on his own, and for which his state/country is unwilling to provide help. This chain will end with his early death.
Helping people with addiction helps all of society. It’s a shame that America still thinks these tactics of strict penalties for drug use will suddenly work after 40 years failure.
Joe Chivas, that’s twice in two days you made me laugh.
Where are all these nut cases coming from? He looks like he is demonic!!!
Glad TSA did such a great job at screening.
The facial lesions, and the behaviour, scream METH
yep. that skin and those eyes tell you everything you need to know.
This is why corporal punishment needs to be a thing.
I find myself wondering if this was in economy or first.