A passenger flew off the handle after a verbal argument with his wife and charged at an off-duty officer who was trying to calm him while boarding a Southwest Airlines flight on Friday, wild video shows.
Marcial Martinez, 32, launched himself at the male officer, who easily towered over him, moments after boarding a Denver-bound Southwest Airlines flight at the Miami International Airport on Friday afternoon, NBC Miami reported.
The victim — an officer with the US Department of Energy — was propelled backwards, but managed to stand his ground even as Martinez continued to shriek, his arms locked around the taller man’s waist, the clip shows.
The plain-clothes officer eventually regained the upper hand and pinned Martinez against the wall, preventing him from flailing any further, according to video footage obtained by the outlet.
Another angle of the apparent lead-up to the midday brawl showed Martinez leaning around the armed officer while calling for his wife to leave with him.
While Martinez continues to call for his partner, the bespectacled victim mouths directions to the flight attendants. He remains planted in the aisle, acting as a human shield between Martinez and his wife.
After a few moments, Martinez appeared to give up, huffing “f–k you guys” before heading for the exit.
Martinez was disruptive from the moment he stepped onto the aircraft, according to an arrest report obtained by the outlet.
The arrest report also stated that the victim is an officer with the US Department of Energy, though his exact role is unclear.
The victim told police that Martinez had “bloodshot eyes” and “an odor of alcohol,” according to the report.
Martinez tried to play it off as an argument with his wife that got out of hand because the victim intervened.
He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correction Center on charges of battery and disorderly intoxication by the end of the day, the outlet reported.
