'If you challenge me, it will result in your death': Indian man arrested for fighting with co-passenger on US flight

Time of India

7 hours ago

A 21-year-old Indian-origin man, Ishaan Sharma, has been arrested and charged with battery after allegedly assaulting a fellow passenger on a flight from Philadelphia to Miami, authorities said.
According to jail records, Sharma is facing a USD 500 bond.
Local outlet WSVN.com reported that Sharma allegedly got into a mid-air altercation with another passenger, Keanu Evans, who claimed the fight began without any provocation.
What happened?
"What I hate is that the video doesn't capture what started the whole thing, you know?" said Evans. "It only captures me defending myself."
Evans said, "He was doing some, like, dark laugh like, ha ha ha ha ha. And he was saying things like, you, you puny mortal man, if you challenge me, it will result in your death."
Live Events
Evans said he then went to use the restroom and told the flight attendants what was going on. The flight attendants told him to push the button for assistance if the argument continues. Evans said he pushed the button, the media report said.
Watch video here:
— ONLYinDADE (@ONLYinDADE)
"He kept threatening me with death," said Evans in the report.
"That's what made me get up and press the button above me and I just turned around and I looked at him and I responded to him. A lot was going on, and immediately he just got up and he put his forehead on my forehead like he was challenging me."
Evans said the situation quickly escalated and Sharma was "looking at me very angrily and we're looking eye to eye, forehead to forehead, and then he just grabs me by the throat and just starts choking me. At that moment it was, you know, fight or flight responses kick in. I'm in a tight, confined space on an aircraft, and all I can do is just defend myself".
"If you see on my face, I've got some scratches from him," said Evans.
A video of the brawl quickly went viral on social media. Upon landing on Monday night, Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies took Sharma into custody. Officials noted he had a facial injury that required stitches.
The report added that cell phone footage showed Evans and Sharma in the middle of the fight as other passengers urged them to stop. "Let him go," said an unidentified passenger. "Stop, let him go."
A flight attendant reportedly also tried to break up the fight, but was unsuccessful. "Sir, you have to sit down," a flight attendant, seen on video, tells the men.
Evans told 7News that he was attacked while simply returning to his seat and he did nothing to provoke Sharma.
PTI