A passenger aboard an Alaska Airlines flight had a rather unconventional deboarding process as she opened the emergency exit and climbed over the wing as she had become “anxious”, according to a report in Fox News. As per authorities, the incident took place on Sunday (Dec 22) just after 5 pm local time at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport just as the Alaska Airlines flight 323 was disembarking.

After the plane landed and passengers started filing off the plane and into the airport terminal, the woman allegedly became anxious and climbed out onto the wing of the plane, leading to frantic calls from the cabin crew. The Port of Seattle fire department was called into action to help the passenger get off the aircraft before any tragedy could happen.

After safely rescuing the woman, the fire department sent the passenger to the hospital for evaluation while Port Police was informed about the incident.

Alaska Airlines confirmed that the incident involving a “disruptive guest” was “safely resolved”, whilst thanking the flight attendants.

“We are working with our crew and airport officials to gather more details about what may have transpired,” the airline spokesperson said.

“We thank our employees for their swift response and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our guests.”

Also Read | UK Flight Attendant Falls From TUI Airways Plane Moments Before Takeoff, Probe Launched

Previous incidents

This is not the first instance when Alaska Airlines has made headlines this year. In January, a Boeing 737-9 MAX airplane belonging to the airline had to make an emergency landing after one of its doors blew open mid-air, minutes after take off. Videos taken by passengers showed that the mid-cabin exit door had completely separated from the aircraft.

In August, a passenger was arrested in Australia after he exited a stationary Jetsra flight through an emergency exit, walked along the wing, and climbed down a jet engine to the tarmac of the Melbourne Airport. He was detained by aircrew and ground staff before police arrested him.

As per the police statement, the man, identified as Audrey Varghese, was arrested for alleged aggressive behavior and breaching aircraft safety protocols.

San Francisco:

A person died in a shooting in Seattle, the US state of Washington, according to police.

Police officers responded to a report of a shooting at the city’s Capitol Hill neighbourhood around 12:30 a.m. on Monday and found a person who had been shot, according to the Seattle Police Department as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Police said it was not yet clear what led to the shooting, and they have not identified any suspects.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A passenger on an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Las Vegas planned to kill a fellow passenger using a makeshift weapon during a violent mid-flight altercation last month. The man, Julio Alvarez Lopez, was arrested at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on January 24, as per a report in the New York Post.

He was charged with “one count of assault with a dangerous weapon”. The man was “fidgety” throughout the flight. As per the outlet, he kept on putting and removing his gloves and used the bathroom for a long period during the flight’s initial descent. According to Fox News, “he sat down, got up a second time, and went to the restroom, where he was reportedly gone for ‘a while’.”

When Lopez returned to his assigned seat, he “began punching and hitting” the man seated across the aisle. Further, he tried to stab him in the eye.

An FBI agent wrote in court documents, “During the altercation, (the victim’s) wife was screaming at the defendant to stop hitting her husband. (A witness) unbuckled her seatbelt and yelled at the defendant to stop.” The woman, who was protecting their seven-year-old son, was also struck by Lopez.

According to the witnesses, there “was blood everywhere,” and a “pen and tape bundle” had dropped to the floor. The co-passenger is alive but he was severely injured. Lopez had walked to the front of the aircraft after the fight, yelling, “I’ll only talk to the FBI.”

Lopez was told to sit down by an onboard law enforcement official, and the flight attendants “worked to provide flex cuffs and the defendant was restrained for the remainder of the flight.” 

He was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan after the plane landed around 8:30 am. The man said that he planned the assault because he “felt the mafia had been chasing him”, adding that he had never seen the victim “but planned on killing him.” Additionally, he claimed that he armed himself with pens wrapped in rubber bands before boarding the flight.

As per Fox News, he told the investigators that he was seeking asylum in the United States. He also added that he believed the co-passenger was with “the Cartel” and was following him.

The man is due back in court on March 1.

New Delhi:

The family of Jaahnavi Kandula, the young woman who died in the United States in January after being hit by a patrol car, has raised serious questions over the delay in release of bodycam footage in which a Seattle police officer is heard laughing about the horrific incident.

Ms Kandula’s grandfather said the young woman’s parents had been left “deeply distressed” by the video and that it had added to trauma and depression her mother continues to face; “This makes it worse. How can anyone speak like that after a tragic accident?” he asked.

“My daughter brought Jaahnavi up with great difficulty!”

“Why wasn’t this information revealed earlier? We have lost our child… but this is beyond shocking… and how can they say the car was not over-speeding?” he continued. The family is “not in a state to even react to this (the bodycam footage)”, her grandfather added.

READ |India Seeks Probe After US Cops Caught Joking Over Andhra Student’s Death

Meanwhile, Ms Kandula’s family has also released a statement.

“It is truly disturbing and saddening to hear insensible comments on the bodycam video from an SPD officer regarding Jaahnavi’s death. Jaahnavi is a beloved daughter and beyond any dollar value for her mother and family. We firmly believe that every human life is invaluable and should not be belittled, especially during a tragic loss.”

Ms Kandula was a 23-year-old student at Northeastern University, from where she was due to graduate with a degree in information systems in December. According to a Seattle Times report from that day – January 25 – she was hit by a speeding police car while trying to cross a road.

The Bodycam Footage

The footage was released Monday – months after Ms Kandula was killed – with a brief statement that said it had been flagged by Seattle Police Department employee “in the routine course of business” who expressed “concern about the nature of statements heard” on the video.

The SPD said it was releasing the video “recognizing public concern… in the interest of transparency” and that it would not comment further pending the completion of an investigation.

Ms Kandula was not jaywalking – i.e., crossing the road at any point other than a zebra crossing.

In the video, Officer Daniel Auderer can be heard laughing about the incident and declaring there is no need for a criminal investigation against his colleague, Officer Kevin Dave, who was driving.

What Happened To Jaahnavi Kandula?

A SPD report released in June said the patrol car – being driven by Officer Kevin Dave – was travelling at 74 miles per hour (119 km per hour). The inquiry also determined the speed of the vehicle was the main reason for the collision, the Seattle Times said in another report.

The car began braking less than a second before it hit Ms Kandula and was travelling at about 63 miles per hour (101 km per hour) at the time of impact. Ms Kandula was thrown 138 feet.

The speed limit on the street where she was hit was 25 miles per hour, or 40 km per hour.

The officers were responding to a 911 call but, significantly, Ms Kandula “had right of way”; the law states police can exceed speed limits in certain cases but not if that will endanger lives.

US Assures Probe

The United States government has promised a swift but fair investigation into Ms Kandula’s death. This comes after the Indian consulate in San Francisco demanded an inquiry.

Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandula’s death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling. We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC

— India in SF (@CGISFO) September 13, 2023

Senior officials of President Joe Biden’s administration have reportedly assured Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s Ambassador to the US, the incident is being taken very seriously.

With input from agencies

New Delhi:

The family of Jaahnavi Kandula, the young woman who died in the United States in January after being hit by a patrol car, has raised serious questions over the delay in release of bodycam footage in which a Seattle police officer is heard laughing about the horrific incident.

Ms Kandula’s grandfather said the young woman’s parents had been left “deeply distressed” by the video and that it had added to trauma and depression her mother continues to face; “This makes it worse. How can anyone speak like that after a tragic accident?” he asked.

“My daughter brought Jaahnavi up with great difficulty!”

“Why wasn’t this information revealed earlier? We have lost our child… but this is beyond shocking… and how can they say the car was not over-speeding?” he continued. The family is “not in a state to even react to this (the bodycam footage)”, her grandfather added.

READ |India Seeks Probe After US Cops Caught Joking Over Andhra Student’s Death

Meanwhile, Ms Kandula’s family has also released a statement.

“It is truly disturbing and saddening to hear insensible comments on the bodycam video from an SPD officer regarding Jaahnavi’s death. Jaahnavi is a beloved daughter and beyond any dollar value for her mother and family. We firmly believe that every human life is invaluable and should not be belittled, especially during a tragic loss.”

Ms Kandula was a 23-year-old student at Northeastern University, from where she was due to graduate with a degree in information systems in December. According to a Seattle Times report from that day – January 25 – she was hit by a speeding police car while trying to cross a road.

The Bodycam Footage

The footage was released Monday – months after Ms Kandula was killed – with a brief statement that said it had been flagged by Seattle Police Department employee “in the routine course of business” who expressed “concern about the nature of statements heard” on the video.

The SPD said it was releasing the video “recognizing public concern… in the interest of transparency” and that it would not comment further pending the completion of an investigation.

Ms Kandula was not jaywalking – i.e., crossing the road at any point other than a zebra crossing.

In the video, Officer Daniel Auderer can be heard laughing about the incident and declaring there is no need for a criminal investigation against his colleague, Officer Kevin Dave, who was driving.

What Happened To Jaahnavi Kandula?

A SPD report released in June said the patrol car – being driven by Officer Kevin Dave – was travelling at 74 miles per hour (119 km per hour). The inquiry also determined the speed of the vehicle was the main reason for the collision, the Seattle Times said in another report.

The car began braking less than a second before it hit Ms Kandula and was travelling at about 63 miles per hour (101 km per hour) at the time of impact. Ms Kandula was thrown 138 feet.

The speed limit on the street where she was hit was 25 miles per hour, or 40 km per hour.

The officers were responding to a 911 call but, significantly, Ms Kandula “had right of way”; the law states police can exceed speed limits in certain cases but not if that will endanger lives.

US Assures Probe

The United States government has promised a swift but fair investigation into Ms Kandula’s death. This comes after the Indian consulate in San Francisco demanded an inquiry.

Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandula’s death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling. We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC

— India in SF (@CGISFO) September 13, 2023

Senior officials of President Joe Biden’s administration have reportedly assured Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s Ambassador to the US, the incident is being taken very seriously.

With input from agencies