A Delta Air Lines passenger accused of criminal malice and reckless danger claims to have suffered a panic attack when he opened the emergency exit to escape from the plane before taking off from LaGuardia airport, on Monday.
Antonio Murdock, who got off the plane with his girlfriend Brianna Greco and their puppy Rain, made the comments on Tuesday in front of the Criminal Court in Queens, reports New York Post.
“It was a panic attack,” said Murdock, who added that he suffers from mental health problems, including depression and anxiety. “I asked him three or four times to get me down. They said I was stopping the plane and they never stopped the plane and I got to the point where I felt dizzy.”
Murdock, 31, and Greco, 23, both of Florida, were originally scheduled to travel to Atlanta on Monday before jumping on the emergency slide with their pet while on the plane. was preparing for takeoff. An alleged witness on board the flight told The New York Times that Murdock refused to remain seated during takeoff, saying he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Murdock was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree criminal malice, second-degree reckless threat and third-degree criminal offense, according to Port Authority spokesman Lenis Valens. Greco was charged only with a third-degree criminal offense.
The service dog was taken to the Brooklyn Animal Care Center, and Greco received a receipt to retrieve the animal.
Authorities say Murdock’s unplanned departure also caused more than $ 170,000 in damage to the Airbus A21 aircraft.
Authorities say Antonio Murdock’s actions caused more than $ 170,000 in damage to the Airbus A21 aircraft (not shown).
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The rest of the passengers on board 462 “went normally and were accommodated on alternative flights,” a Fox spokesman confirmed to Fox News.
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“I don’t know what I was thinking at the time,” Murdock told the Queens Criminal Court, per Post. – I wasn’t committing a crime.
Since then, the man has been released without bail.
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Cortney Moore of Fox News contributed to the report.