Authorities were investigating the incident on Thursday when former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was filmed punching a first-class passenger on a plane at San Francisco International Airport.
The video shows Tyson leaning on the back of a chair repeatedly punching an unidentified man in the head, drawing blood. The footage was first released by TMZ, where it is said to have been shot on a JetBlue plane en route to Florida.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Tyson had an in-flight incident with an aggressive passenger who began harassing him and threw a water bottle at him while he was sitting in his seat,” Tyson’s representatives told The Associated Press.
Before the physical altercation, the video shows the man standing in Tyson’s chair, holding hands and talking animatedly, while the former boxer is silent.
San Francisco police responded at around 10 pm on Wednesday to a “physical collision” on a plane inside the airport terminal, officials said.
“Police officers came and arrested two individuals, who were allegedly involved in the incident. One individual was treated for life-threatening injuries at the scene. “This entity provided minimal details of the incident and declined to cooperate further with the police investigation,” police said in a statement on Thursday.
Both were released pending further investigation, according to the statement.
Another passenger on the flight, Sarah Burchfield, said she saw the man Tyson punched at the airport bar, looking up and arguing.
“When I got on the plane, I thought, ‘Oh no, that drunk guy is on our flight,’” Burchfield said. SFGgate.
Burchfield said that when he boarded, he took Tyson’s place in the plane’s first-class unit.
“The warrior boy was sitting behind him and I saw that they were communicating,” he said. Shortly afterward, he heard a first-degree confrontation, he said.
San Francisco police said the video was shared by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, which has jurisdiction over the airport.
Sheriff officials said, “We will not release any information about the incident as it is an active investigation.”
JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for additional details.
Since Tyson, 55, retired from boxing, he has worked as an actor, podcast host and cannabis entrepreneur. He was at the 420th Annual San Francisco Cannabis Festival in Golden Gate Park, where he was promoting his Tyson 2.0 cannabis brand. SFGgate reported.
Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history in 1987 at age 20. During his career, he won 50, including 44 knockouts.
In the 1990s, Tyson was sentenced to three years in prison for rape. He maintains his innocence in this case.
Tyson was briefly banned from boxing in 1997 after blatantly biting off a part of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a fight.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
