A man elbowed and damaged a window on an Alaska Airlines flight that had just landed in Juneau on Thursday, according to the Juneau Police Department.
The 38-year-old Ketchikan man has not yet been charged with anything, according to the JPD release, but police expect charges to eventually be filed. Just before 1 p.m. Thursday, a JPD officer on duty at the Juneau International Airport was told there was an unresponsive passenger on an Alaska Airlines flight that had just landed from Anchorage, according to the release.
JPD Public Safety Manager Erann Kalwara said the man had apparently been acting up during the flight, but was unconscious when the plane landed. The officer boarded the plane and found the man, Kalwara said, who was starting to come to.
The officer saw that alcohol was present, Kalwara said, and the passenger hit the window with his elbow as the officer approached. The officer wasn’t sure if the alcohol had caused the man to damage the window or if it was drugs or a medical issue, Kalwara said, so Capital City Fire/Rescue took the man to Bartlett Regional Hospital for a medical evaluation.
CCFR Assistant Chief Chad Cameron wasn’t present at the airport, but said he spoke to the medic who responded. The medic told Cameron that he too wasn’t certain if the man had been drinking or if the behavior stemmed from another reason.
The flight was delayed in Juneau while repairs were made, according to the release. As of Thursday afternoon, the extent of the damage was unknown, according to the release, and the police are continuing to investigate.
