A 
United Airlines
customer has been charged with assault after a sleeping man was attacked during a Monday trip on flight UA2247 from San Francisco International Airport
to Washington Dulles International Airport
in Virginia. A witness said that the victim of the attack was deaf and nonverbal.
Photo: Brenda A. Owens | Shutterstock
Victim suffers severe injuries mid-flight
According to reports from the FBI, the flight was cruising at 30,000 feet when Everett Nelson, a 44-year-old passenger, allegedly struck the sleeping victim multiple times in the face. Nelson, described in a Virginia District Court petition, is accused of leaving his victim, another passenger who was not named in the file, with blood streaming from a laceration on his nose. The victim, who was both deaf and nonverbal, also sustained bruises around both eyes.
Authorities said that about two hours into the flight, Nelson left his seat, 35F, and went to the bathroom at the front of the plane. On his way back to his seat, Nelson stopped at seat 12F and “without notice, began physically attacking a sleeping male passenger by punching him repeatedly in the face and head until blood was drawn,” according to the court filing.
Photo: Thierry Weber | Shutterstock
Nelson allegedly punched the guy repeatedly for a full minute until another passenger intervened and detained him.
‘It was vicious’, witness said
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with other passengers stepping in to intervene and cabin crew quickly responding. The attack resulted in the victim suffering significant facial injuries, including swelling and cuts, which required medical attention upon landing. The court filing described that during the alleged one-minute attack, blood splattered on Nelson’s coat, the seat, the wall, and the window.
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In a statement, AFP Acting Superintendent Shona Davis said individuals who cause disturbances on flights can expect to be held accountable for their illegal actions.
“This incident should serve as a warning that criminal behavior on board can come at a heavy cost to the offender,” Davis said. “It’s far simpler to obey the directions of airline staff than cause unnecessary issues, which can end up hitting you in the hip pocket. The AFP is committed to ensuring all travelers have a safe journey from their departure through to their arrival at their
Sandhya Gupta, who was seated a row behind the victim and witnessed the alleged assault, told ABC 7 News that she heard “blood-curdling screams.” She and other passengers, as well as crew members, only realized the victim was deaf and non-verbal when he attempted to communicate in sign language.
“[Nelson] was just violently and aggressively pummeling the guy in the window seat in front of me, and it was vicious,” she recounted.
A doctor on the aircraft treated the nonverbal injured passenger, who communicated with the flight crew via text messages. According to Gupta, the messages repeatedly read, “I’m so scared.”
Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock
Nelson was moved to a seat near the front of the plane until it landed in Virginia. He had no visible injuries, according to the filing, and it does not appear that the victim struck him in self-defense, the court filing said.
United’s response
“Thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, one passenger was restrained after becoming physically aggressive toward another customer on a flight from San Francisco to Washington Dulles on Monday,” United Airlines said in a statement. “The flight landed safely and was met by paramedics and local law enforcement.”
Nelson is being charged with one count of committing assault by beating, striking, and wounding, which is a felony. His trial is set for December 11. The New York Post reported that he faces up to a year in prison if convicted.