A 13-year-old boy was not duct taped on an American Airlines flight, despite a viral video, the airline insisted to CBS Los Angeles. However, he was restrained with flex cuffs, the television station is reporting.
According to CBS Los Angles, the boy was restrained on a flight from Maui to Los Angeles. The boy became “disruptive,” so the flight was diverted to Honolulu, the television station reported.
American Airlines told the television station, though, that flex cuffs (plastic handcuffs) were used to restrain the boy, and no duct tape was used. That’s despite the fact that the video trended on Google and social media with the claim that the 13-year-old boy was duct taped to his seat. Despite the airline’s statement, the viral video does show a flight attendant walking down the aisle of the plane with what appears to be duct tape:
A source familiar with the situation told Heavy that, although duct tape was present, flex cuffs were ultimately used to restrain the boy.
You can watch the video later in this article.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Boy Was Accused of Unruly Behavior on the Flight
WATCH: 13 Year old boy is duct taped to seat after trying to kick out seat window on an American Airlines flight.
The boy was a teenager, CBS Los Angeles reported.
The television station reported that the boy had a “developmental disability” and “may have been screaming, punching, and kicking the seats in front of him. The station reported that witnesses also said the boy “attempted to kick out the window next to his seat and became physical with his own mother.”
“It was enough to make me concerned for my family,” the unidentified . “And actually I feel bad for the airlines because they have to be really delicate.”
The boy “was accused of groping two flight attendants and groping another,” The New York Post reported.
A man who shared the video wrote on Twitter, “Airlines must buy duct tape by the crate. 13-year-old boy duct taped to his seat aboard American Airlines flight.” However, again, the airline says that duct tape was not used in this situation.
American Airlines Confirmed There Was ‘An Incident With a Passenger’
13-Year-Old Boy Latest To Be Duct-Taped On Flight After Allegedly Trying To Kick Out A Window (VIDEO) t.co/t6pnfOiQQW
Heavy reached out to the American Airlines public relations team. They released this statement, “Flight 212 from Kahului Airport, Maui (OGG) to LAX diverted to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Honolulu (HNL) due to an incident with a passenger on board. After landing at HNL at 3:47 p.m. (local time), customers were re-accommodated on other flights or provided hotel accommodations. Safety and security is our top priority and we apologize to our customers for any inconvenience this caused.”
No further details were released, although no arrests were made.
Airlines duct taping passengers has become something of a trend lately.
In late July 2021, an Ohio man, Maxwell Berry, was duct-taped by crew members on a Frontier Airlines flight to Florida. He was accused of assaulting and groping three flight attendants. That plane was traveling from Philadelphia to Miami, and the incident was also captured on a video, which went viral.
Here’s video of the Maxwell Berry incident:
After the Berry incident, the flight attendants’ union released a statement that explained that disruptions are up on flights, and it’s causing issues for the safety of the attendants.
“Flight Attendants have faced an onslaught of disruptions on our flights this year. The situation on Frontier this weekend is one of the worst examples. A drunk and irate passenger verbally, physically, and sexually assaulted multiple members of the crew. When he refused to comply after multiple attempts to de-escalate, the crew was forced to restrain the passenger with the tools available to them onboard. We are supporting the crew,” that statement read.