The passenger who tried to open the exit door on an Alaska Airlines flight may have schizophrenia. The 23-year-old man claims told the Port of Portland police that he heard voices and he may be schizophrenic.
According to the Oregonian, a federal complaint filed in U.S. District Court on Tuesday gave details of the incident in which Alexander Michael Herrera tried to open the door in the middle of the flight which led to him being restrained by passengers and flight attendants. Until it landed at Portland International Airport.
According to the complaint, Herrera told police that he was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder but he hasn't taken his medication in more than a year. He claims that he had been hearing voices over the course of four days. He claims that he remembers getting on the plane but he doesn't remember anything about the actual flight.
Herrera was sitting near the emergency exit on Alaska Airlines Flight 132. The flight was heading from Anchorage to Portland. A passenger that was sitting next to him claims that he told her that he was psychic and he asked her what her astrological sign was.
Roughly half an hour before the flight was set to land in Portland, Herrera suddenly tried to open the exit door, the complaint says.
Herrera was wrestled by passengers Robin and Jake Streumpler in an attempt to get him to stop. Streumpler had to resort to punching Herrera to get him to stop as other passengers jumped in to help.
"Herrera was fighting back and yelling, 'Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to hurt me?'' the complaint says, according to the Oregonian.
One of the flight attendants, Tameka Lovelle gathered seat extenders and flex cuffs to restrain Herrera. He was restrained until the flight landed. Upon landing, police met the plane and handcuffed Herrera and escorted him off the flight.
Herrera was set to be arraigned in U.S. District Court on Tuesday on charges of attempted destruction of an aircraft.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
