Passenger Arrested for Urinating in Seat, Pushing Flight Attendant
An Alaska Airlines passenger allegedly urinated in his seat, pushed a flight attendant and refused to wear a face mask during a flight earlier this week from Seattle to Denver.
Landon Grier, 24, was asked about eight to 10 times to wear a mask, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, but instead of complying he pushed a female flight attendant, according to the Sacramento Bee.
Later in the flight, a passenger called flight attendants because Grier stood up and began urinating in a bag. When he was asked to sit down, his penis was exposed.
“I have to pee,” he replied, according to a criminal complaint.
The flight attendants reseated passengers in the area.
At the same time, the pilot told investigators that the plane experienced a mechanical issue forcing an emergency landing in Denver.
“(The pilot) stated the passenger disruption occurred during a high work load environment while they were descending over the mountains in turbulent conditions,” the criminal complaint says. “The disruption caused the pilot crew to divert attention from their emergency landing preparation.”
Grier, who was arrested when the flight landed, told authorities he worked at a gold mine in Alaska and consumed both an over-the-counter pain medication as well as four to five beers and a couple of shots before flying.
Grier was charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants. He could go to prison for up to 20 years and be fined up to $250,000.