A United Airlines passenger brutally assaulted another man on a lengthy flight, bloodying the man’s face in a seemingly random attack, authorities said.
Cops said Everett Chad Nelson, 44, began punching another passenger in the face on United Flight 2247 from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. on Monday, CBS News reported. The attack lasted for nearly a minute until Nelson was stopped by a fellow passenger, according to police.
“I actually wondered, ‘Does this guy have a weapon?’ Because I didn’t realize you could do so much damage with just your fists,” witness Sandhya Gupta told CBS News. “His face was bruised and bloody.”
Police said about two hours into the flight, Nelson, seated in 35F, stood up to use the bathroom in the front of the aircraft, according to NBC News. As Nelson walked back toward his seat, he stopped in row 12 and began pummeling the man sitting in 12F, cops said.
The victim was sleeping at the time and woke up screaming, authorities said. He was not identified further, but passengers realized he was deaf and nonverbal when he started signing to them, CBS News reported.
Police said another passenger confronted Nelson, who backed down and ceased his assault, according to ABC News. Nelson was monitored near the front of the aircraft until the flight landed at Washington Dulles International Airport, where he was arrested.
The victim was treated for bleeding and severe bruising, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Nelson was charged with assault on an aircraft and faces a maximum of one year behind bars.