A man is accused of threatening a passenger with a razor blade aboard a JetBlue flight from New York to Utah, Utah officials said.
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A man has been charged with a federal crime after attacking a flight attendant with a razor blade aboard a flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to Utah, the district attorney’s office said.
On Nov. 21, Merrill Darrell Fackrell of Syracuse, Utah, sat next to a married couple aboard a Jetblue flight to Salt Lake City International Airport when the chaos began, according to a press release from the Utah State Attorney’s Office.
McClatchy News reached out to Fackrell’s attorney and officials about the complaint on Nov. 25 and is awaiting a response.
The man “had several alcoholic beverages” before going up to the toilet, reports KUTV.
When he returned, the 41-year-old man put his hand on the screen of the woman he was sitting next to and “told her to pause the movie,” according to the news release.
After removing her headphones, the woman realized that Fackrell had “grabbed what she believed to be a knife” and was holding it “to her throat/neck area,” officials said.
According to the complaint obtained by KUTV, Fackrell stood up and told other passengers on the plane that the woman was going to be fine and that no one needed to worry. He then demanded that the woman’s husband leave his seat.
The husband, who did not know that Fackrel had a knife, felt that something was wrong and went to seek help from a flight attendant, according to KSL.
“He unknowingly left me to deal with a man with a gun,” the woman told KSL.
The woman tried to escape from her seat and “rushed toward the aisle,” but Fackrell grabbed her shoulder in an attempt to stop her, KSL reported. The woman was able to free herself and ran to the front of the plane.
Another passenger was able to convince Fackrell to put a knife on the seat next to him, according to the complaint, obtained by The New York Times. The passenger grabbed the razor and held it for the rest of the flight.
“Crew members responded to the de-escalation of the situation and notified law enforcement who met the flight in Salt Lake City,” a JetBlue spokesperson said in a statement to McClatchy News. “The safety of our customers and crew members is JetBlue’s first priority, and we will support law enforcement during their investigation.”
The weapon was later identified as “a Facon razor with a wooden handle and a 1- to 2-inch blade,” officials said.
Fackrell was charged with “carrying a weapon on board an aircraft and assault with a dangerous weapon within the special aviation jurisdiction of the United States,” according to a news release.
Fackrell’s first court appearance was Nov. 23, according to KUTV.
The case is being investigated by the Salt Lake City Police Department and an FBI task force officer, officials said.
