A proud gentleman flying on Southwest walked to the back of the plane and offered to show his penis to a flight attendant. When the crew member declined, the offended passenger urinated in a corner of the galley and then grew "very hostile" when asked to mop up his mess, according to a federal complaint. He became so belligerent, flight crew "feared for their safety as well as that of the flight," and one crew member said they "feared for their life."
The plane — flying from Dallas to Burbank — was diverted to Albuquerque, and the 33-year-old man — Samson Hardridge from Lancaster, California, was arrested.
From The Washington Post:
According to the complaint, Friday's incident began when passenger Samson Hardridge, 33, of Lancaster, Calif., got up during the flight to use the lavatory at the back of the plane. A flight attendant asked him to stand in the aisle because space was tight in the galley.
At that point, according to the complaint, Hardridge had his hands in his pants and asked if the flight attendant wanted to see his genitals. The answer was no. Despite a reminder to stay in the aisle, he "proceeded to the aft galley door of the aircraft and began urinating in the corner of the aircraft," the complaint said. …
The flight attendant "felt as if Hardridge was going to attack" them as he yelled and threatened them, calling them profane names and invading their personal space. …
After learning of the behavior, the pilot diverted the flight to Albuquerque. The criminal complaint, written by FBI Special Agent Stacey Stout, said there is probable cause to believe that Hardridge interfered with flight crew members and attendants, a federal offense. In a statement, Southwest said that local police met the plane at the gate and removed the passenger and that the flight continued to its original destination of Burbank "a short time later."
The U.S. attorney's office in New Mexico said Hardridge would stay in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Friday morning.
If convicted, Hardridge could face up to 20 years in prison, according to The Washington Post.
