Massachusetts native films moment passengers tackled man on American Airlines flight

DEDHAM, Mass. — An American Airlines flight was re-routed after a passenger tried to force open the emergency exit door.

A passenger who goes by ‘Donnie’ was on that flight from New Mexico to Chicago Tuesday.

Donnie, who’s originally from Cohasset, says he was one of a few people who tackled that man as he posed a threat mid-flight.

“Four of us were able to wrestle him into the aisle, where I then kind of sat on top of him, and the flight attendants eventually came over and helped duct tape his legs and then we put flex cuffs on his arms,” said Donnie, who also works for Barstool Sports.

“He like cracked open the window that was protecting the handle and then he like ripped down the handle where it exposed some of the emergency exit, all this wind came rushing down,” said Emma Ritz, another passenger on that flight.

Donnie says that the passenger was taken to an empty row for the rest of the flight, and he was arrested by police as soon as they landed back in New Mexico.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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