Summary
Passengers on an American Airlines flight from Milwaukee to Dallas-Fort Worth restrained a Canadian man with duct tape after he allegedly attempted to open a cabin door mid-flight, claiming he was the “captain” and needed to exit.
The man became aggressive, injuring a flight attendant as he rushed toward the door.
Several passengers, including Doug McCright and Charlie Boris, subdued him, using duct tape to secure his hands and ankles.
Authorities detained the man upon landing, and the incident remains under investigation.
No, but it does mean that calling it attempted murder is a bit strong. They were trying to do something that’s physically impossible for them to do. It’d be like calling it attempted murder if I went up to someone and tried to use my psychic powers to explode their heart.
It’s an attempt to harm, and you will be prosecuted for it.
I am specifically addressing the comment:
Opening the door during flight is attempted murder of everyone on board
It is not attempted murder. The case you link to backs me up:
Gapco is charged with interference with a flight crew, and attempted damage to an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.
Why no attempted murder charge, if it’s attempted murder?
Intent is the key, if the person had a gun they thought was loaded but actually wasn’t, wouldn’t it still be attempted murder if they put it to your head and pulled the trigger? Same thing with the door, they thought it would open.
So if I genuinely believe I can use my psychic powers to explode peoples’ hearts, I should be up on attempted murder charges whenever I glare at someone with intent to kill?
Given that in a basically identical case someone linked to elsewhere in this thread no murder-related charges were filed for trying to open an airplane door like this, I suspect that wouldn’t be the outcome here either.
