What Happens When Police Detain a Passenger Who Tried to Open Aircraft Doors

Added: 2026-05-10

[00:00:00]He tried to run me over, and he went like this. He was ready. And I'm like, that's the day. He tried to open the door.

[00:00:07]He couldn't open the doors. That's why the alarms went off.

[00:00:10]And then after that, Listen to these deputies' instructions, okay? It's not time for you to start being ridiculous. At a major South Florida airport in Broward County, a passenger boards a flight, walks down the jet bridge, then turns around and exits without explanation.

[00:00:32]Minutes later, he returns and attempts to force open the aircraft doors.

[00:00:37]Gate agents describe the sequence to the responding deputy.

[00:00:41]The subject came back, tried to re-enter the aircraft, threw himself onto the floor, removed his jacket, then returned a third time and triggered the door alarms.

[00:01:01]What was he doing?

[00:01:02]He tried to get away like twice.

[00:01:05]What's wrong with you? He's a tall guy.

[00:01:08]I don't know.

[00:01:12]What's going on? What happened? I'm trying to catch my flight.

[00:01:20]So, you were supposed to fly out? What time is your flight?

[00:01:23]What time was your flight?

[00:01:25]What Were you drinking or you taking something?

[00:01:31]Why you was acting crazy? Nobody tell you to jump in and do that.

[00:01:36]Huh?

[00:01:36]He's sleeping. He was sleeping? He was sleeping?

[00:01:41]Stay with me. What What happened to this What's going on? What happened? He boarded the plane, so he stand there and he walked down the jet bridge.

[00:01:47]After he jet bridge, he just stand there and walk off. So, I'm trying to get his attention to like see what's going on.

[00:01:53]He just looked at me and nothing. I'm on the jet bridge, and I'm tagging back the jet bridge at the plane.

[00:01:58]He walked straight past her. So, she's trying to get his attention like, "Sir, like what's going on?" He doesn't answer. So, she didn't even know about what happened until after the flight.

[00:02:06]So, I don't know what's going Okay, so so the flight left already? Yeah, the flight already gone. So, I said, "You didn't say anything."

[00:02:12]On the jet bridge, he just turned around and walked off. So, I'm trying to get his attention like, "Yo, what's going on?" He doesn't answer anybody, and he just walked off.

[00:02:17]So, she was on a flight to Vegas. That's what he said. What is it? What is going on?

[00:02:22]All right, what's going on?

[00:02:25]First, he walked off the jet bridge.

[00:02:26]They were trying to get his name. He wasn't on the flight. He was on a flight to 31 went in. He wasn't replying.

[00:02:32]And then when he got to the top, he kind of had to like go in front of me like, "Sir, what's your name? What's your name?"

[00:02:37]He was like I don't know if that like it's He said it in Spanish.

[00:02:43]And then then he Then I got his seat number. He said 13.

[00:02:48]And then I'm like, "Okay." I looked at the number, and I saw it was 31 half.

[00:02:52]He was gone already. And then he comes back when he And then he [music] was trying to get on the aircraft. He tried to run me over.

[00:03:00]And he went like this. He was ready. And I'm like, "That's the day."

[00:03:04]He goes and back down. And he left again. He threw himself on the ground, threw his jacket off.

[00:03:11]And then he came back again. He tried to open the door.

[00:03:16]He couldn't open the doors. That's why the alarms went off.

[00:03:19]And then after that, And he was like sweating a lot, too.

[00:03:31]Yeah, maybe he is sweating.

[00:03:35]All right.

[00:03:36]Let me ask you a quick question. Are you okay? Have you been drinking? Uh no. Are you on any medication or anything? No, sir. Is there a reason why you were acting like that at the gate, though?

[00:03:44]No, sir. No, sir. All right, so just so you know, the flight's already left.

[00:03:47]Okay.

[00:03:47]>> So, what do you need to do now? You can go and walk around outside and All right, yeah. find out Yeah.

[00:03:54]I don't know what happened.

[00:03:56]All right, let me go with you inside there.

[00:04:01]I appreciate it.

[00:04:02]Let's go.

[00:04:08]Sorry, man. Let's go.

[00:04:09]If you know how to get a flight, it's better you go find somewhere and whatever you want. I'm not saying because Sorry.

[00:04:17]Yeah, book another flight for another day.

[00:04:22]So, if you do come back again and you start acting up like that, you're going to end up in jail.

[00:04:39]All right, good.

[00:04:40]Let's go over there.

[00:04:44]Listen, all right. As of right now, today JetBlue is not going to let you fly. And listen to me.

[00:04:50]What you need to do is go home. I don't know what you want, whatever you think, cuz your behavior was not normal.

[00:04:55]So, they said that you started walking and next thing you started walking out and they were trying to talk to you and you responded something like that.

[00:05:01]If you come back to this airport today and you act like this again, I will take you to jail. Do you understand? So, you go home, call the airline, figure it out, and get yourself rebooked, get yourself situated, and come back and fly whenever you want. But, do you have an actual ID on you, do you think, sir?

[00:05:15]Yeah, I appreciate that. Let me just see your ID, please.

[00:05:21]You just got to wait. Whoever's coming to pick you up. Yeah, that I'm going to give it to you.

[00:05:25]Just send your ID so I can take a picture. Show your passport or whatever it He just got to take a picture of it.

[00:05:33]He's not taking it.

[00:05:37]Yeah, let me Let me Let me take a picture of it. Let me I need your picture ID with me. Let me see your driver's license.

[00:05:44]Cuz I just need a picture ID. I need your date of birth.

[00:05:48]got I showed the drone.

[00:05:51]I needed to take a picture. Just let go of it. Then I give it back.

[00:05:58]Why are you taking a picture like that?

[00:06:00]We got to know who you are.

[00:06:03]Oh, I'm going to Give me a second. Let me dig it from my side. Wait a second.

[00:06:06]Sir. Relax.

[00:06:08]Wait. Wait. You're not taking the passport.

[00:06:12]Wait. You understand?

[00:06:13]You will get it back. Not right now.

[00:06:26]Take the bag off. Take the bag off.

[00:06:30]Put your hands behind your back for right now. The official put your back.

[00:06:33]Put your hands behind your back.

[00:06:35]You're being detained while we investigate something. We got that additional information. Do you understand? Do you understand?

[00:06:41]We have additional information about what >> I'm going to explain to you. The way you were acting at the gate over there, you started walking halfway through and next thing you know you pull yourself out.

[00:06:48]This is not a normal behavior. Right now what we're going to do is you're not being arrested. Let me listen. Listen to me. Let me explain to you. You're not being arrested.

[00:06:54]And you're going to be back here after you're going to be transported to our hospital where you can see the psychiatrist because of You go to the hospital. That's what you You go to the hospital. Relax.

[00:07:06]Cuz you go to the hospital to get some help. Yeah, that's where you're going.

[00:07:08]You're going to the hospital.

[00:07:17]He's He's going to the hospital.

[00:07:36]Forcing entry into a sealed aircraft can fall under Title 49, United States Code section 46,504 interference with flight crew with up to 20 years and the FAA's parallel rule under 14 Code of Federal Regulations section 91.11.

[00:07:57]The deputy's first contact is restrained. He asks about alcohol and medications. The subject answers no, but loops the same five words on repeat.

[00:08:08]Crisis intervention team training treats this perseveration as a behavioral red flag.

[00:08:15]The flight has left and no complaint is signed. So, the deputy moves to walk the subject out under Florida statute section 810.08 trespass after warning telling him that returning and acting the same way will result in arrest.

[00:08:32]The encounter shifts when the deputy asks for ID. The subject produces a passport, but resists letting it go.

[00:08:40]Hiibel versus 6th Judicial District of Nevada 2004 allows identification requests during a lawful Terry stop.

[00:08:49]By this point, the gate agent's account striking a person, throwing himself down, attempting to open aircraft doors supplies the reasonable suspicion the Fourth Amendment requires. The investigative detention is now legally supported.

[00:09:05]The deputy then invokes Florida's Baker Act Florida statute section 394.463 telling the subject he is going to a hospital, not jail.

[00:09:18]This is a civil involuntary psychiatric examination, not a criminal arrest and not a booking.

[00:09:26]Section 394.463 requires three findings on the record.

[00:09:33]Reason to believe mental illness.

[00:09:35]Refusal or inability to consent to voluntary examination and likely serious bodily harm to self or others or self-neglect without care.

[00:09:47]The subject pulls away during cuffing.

[00:09:50]Deputies use a controlled body down takedown.

[00:09:54]Graham versus Connor, 1989, judges force on three factors: severity of the offense, immediate threat, and active resistance. All three apply here.

[00:10:06]Officers place him in a recovery position on his side, not prone.

[00:10:11]Prone restraint of an agitated subject carries documented risk of positional asphyxia.

[00:10:18]This single tactical choice tracks current national best practice.

[00:10:23]Shackles and a search follow.

[00:10:27]A protective inventory search incident to a Baker Act seizure is allowed under Florida case law, including Reynolds versus State, but it is narrower than a full criminal search incident to arrest.

[00:10:40]The subject repeatedly asks to be recorded.

[00:10:43]That request is protected First Amendment activity and already moot.

[00:10:49]Body worn cameras and fixed station cameras have captured the entire encounter from the first contact onward.

[00:10:56]That's why we got to take you to the hospital. That's where you're going.

[00:11:00]That's where you're going.

[00:11:03]This way, [ __ ] Hey! Stop, buddy. You got to stop.

[00:11:07]Stop! What are you doing?

[00:11:09]All right, get down. Get ready. No! No!

[00:11:11]Get on the ground. On the ground.

[00:11:18]Stop!

[00:11:19]Stop, buddy. No!

[00:11:20]Buddy, YOU WILL STOP.

[00:11:23]NO!

[00:11:24]GET HIM GET HIM DOWN HERE. GET HIM ON THE GROUND GET HIM DOWN. NO!

[00:11:30]NO!

[00:11:33]NO! ALL RIGHT, STOP. LISTEN UP.

[00:11:35]>> WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

[00:11:37]What are you doing?

[00:11:39]WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

[00:11:41]WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

[00:11:46]What are you doing?

[00:11:52]Can you confirm the door number? What am I We got a pre-position guys. Put them up. 313 Get up, okay?

[00:12:01]Stay down.

[00:12:05]Just relax, dude. Relax.

[00:12:07]All right, sit up. Sit up.

[00:12:09]If you were going to sit up, sit like that. Relax.

[00:12:14]Just sit down like that. Relax.

[00:12:19]You were reaching for your phone.

[00:12:20]>> Yeah. Oh, my phone.

[00:12:22]It's a phone. It's a phone. I GOT IT.

[00:12:24]PLEASE, LET ME HAVE MY PHONE. NO. Let me have my phone.

[00:12:27]Got it. Let me have it. Get him in the car. Get him in the car.

[00:12:30]Oh my god, no. Hey, stop. Bob, why are you doing this to me? Listen. Listen to me. Listen to me. Stop talking for a second. Shut up.

[00:12:39]Stop being difficult. It's going to be worse for you. Stop being difficult.

[00:12:44]Stop moving.

[00:12:45]Stop moving. I don't need to hear you right now. Just shut up for 2 seconds.

[00:12:48]Stop moving, okay? I don't need you to reach in your freaking pockets to get a phone. You'll have enough enough time to do that. Do you understand me? Look at me.

[00:12:57]Stop acting like a knucklehead. Listen to these deputies' instructions, okay? It's not time for you to start being ridiculous. Sir, I'm listening to you. Okay.

[00:13:06]Don't move.

[00:13:07]>> I'm listening. Okay.

[00:13:09]I'm listening. Okay, then stay right there.

[00:13:11]We're going to put you in shackles now.

[00:13:19]2 Bravo 5 10-11 7 10-30 49 auto.

[00:13:24]2 Bravo 5 124108 on the 10-30 and the 10-20.

[00:13:34]>> The shoes off.

[00:13:38]Relax. Stop, buddy.

[00:13:41]You're going to get You're going to get yourself We're searching you.

[00:13:48]We don't Do you think we're going to believe you? I promise to make sure.

[00:13:55]Okay, great. Thank you for letting us Stop flexing.

[00:14:01]Stop flexing.

[00:14:03]Why you going to get worse if you Pull away again before you get worse.

[00:14:07]I'm not trying to pull away.

[00:14:10]I'm not pulling away.

[00:14:11]Stop flexing. I'm not pulling away.

[00:14:14]Can somebody please help? Paul, help.

[00:14:17]Somebody like They're recording this.

[00:14:19]Can somebody please record this?

[00:14:22]Can somebody please record this?

[00:14:25]Please record this, please.

[00:14:28]Paul!

[00:14:29]You're being recorded. You're being recorded. You're on camera right now.

[00:14:32]Everybody here is recording.

[00:14:34]Don't worry about it.

[00:14:35]We have plenty of video footage of that.

[00:14:37]My car's on the other side.

[00:14:39]My camera's recording.

[00:14:49]Nobody's going to Mirage.

[00:14:52]We actually have to tell him everything.

[00:14:54]Because you're acting like You can literally I got away with whatever I wanted.

[00:14:58]That's the other side, do you understand? I'm driving. Go get the other side.

[00:15:03]I'm fine. Lay down. Lay down.

[00:15:05]I'm fine. See? Yes.

[00:15:08]>> him out? Sure.

[00:15:10]All they're doing is guarding us, huh?

[00:15:11]We don't need it. They They got it. We got enough hands. We got enough hands.

[00:15:14]I'm not flexing. All right, are we done searching or not yet? Can somebody please record this?

[00:15:19]Can somebody please Can somebody please record this?

[00:15:22]Please record this. Please record this.

[00:15:25]record this.

[00:15:26]Please record this.

[00:15:29]Please record this. Please record this.

[00:15:50]I want my ID. We'll give them to you later.

[00:15:53]They're right there.

[00:15:54]They're right there.

[00:15:56]They're right there.

[00:16:08]Stop. I already told you you're going to have it.

[00:16:15]There's nothing in his back pocket. I don't have anything.

[00:16:21]Close the door.

[00:16:28]Oh my god.

[00:16:34]You're going to have to go in the car.

[00:16:36]Now you want to push him in?

[00:16:37]Hold him by his legs. Hold his upper body. Hold his upper body. Got it? I got it.

[00:16:48]Get in there. Get in there.

[00:16:56]He is transported to a medical facility, not booked into jail.

[00:17:01]One small failure. Deputies never confirm on camera that his passport will travel with him as personal property.

[00:17:08]Exactly the small detail that drives later complaints.

[00:17:12]Final charges are misdemeanors only.

[00:17:15]Disorderly conduct under Florida statute section 877.03 and resisting an officer without violence under section 843.02.

[00:17:29]Final disposition, a $100 fine. No federal charges were filed.

[00:17:35]Deputies earn a B. Lawful, tactically sound, recovery position used, Baker Act invoked instead of jail.

[00:17:44]Lost points for inconsistent verbal de-escalation including a shut up command that contradicts crisis intervention training.

[00:17:53]The subject earns a C with a caveat.

[00:17:56]Behavior consistent with crisis rather than strategy.

[00:18:00]He produced no weapon and launched no attack but interfered with an aircraft, refused ID during a lawful detention, and pulled away on cuffing.

[00:18:10]Lesson one for officers.

[00:18:13]When behavior is repetitive, unresponsive, and inconsistent with intoxication, the Baker Act pathway protects everyone.

[00:18:22]The subject from a record, the agency from civil exposure, and the public from escalation.

[00:18:28]Lesson two for citizens.

[00:18:32]Even in distress, refusing identification during a lawful detention only escalates the situation. Calm verbal assertion of rights and compliance with lawful commands preserve every legal option afterward.

[00:18:45]Lesson three for the system.

[00:18:48]Explicit on-camera articulation of the three Baker Act findings and a brief verbal warning before any takedown are small habits that protect the agency, the subject, and the case in later review.