A Tucson real estate broker was accused by law enforcement of violence on an American Airlines flight, where he was reportedly restrained with duct tape. The incident has now prompted a brokerage company to sever ties with him.
Layne Arthur Lundeen, 64, was charged Sept. 4, in Maryland in suspicion of second-degree assault and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors, according to court records.
In a response to questions about Lundeen's arrest, the FBI field office told The Arizona Republic in an email that a "disruptive passenger" was arrested Sept. 3, at Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI) in Maryland. Flight 618 was diverted to BWI by "a disruptive customer" who was deplaned with the help of law enforcement, according
to an emailed response from American Airlines.
Witnesses describe slur-filled, violent outburst
According to TMZ, which first reported on the incident, witnesses told the outlet that a man who appeared drunk was yelling at a passenger beside him. The shouting man called a Black flight attendant the N-word and used an anti-gay slur, TMZ said their sources had told the outlet. The man then hit the passenger beside him and struck that person's computer, according to TMZ.
Three passengers restrained the man with duct tape and zip ties handed to them by flight attendants, and the trio then held him down as he tried to break the restraints, TMZ said sources told the outlet.
Images reportedly from the incident, as published by TMZ, showed a man bound — head down to forearms — by duct tape to what appeared to be an airplane passenger's seat. The man's nose and mouth, which were digitally blurred, were left exposed, a pair of TMZ's photos showed.
TMZ published a short video showing a row of passenger-filled seats, with what appeared to be two law enforcement officers surrounding a largely obscured person in one of the seats.
"Knock it off, relax," one of the apparent law enforcement officers can be heard saying.
Standing nearby are two flight attendants, including one holding duct tape, the video showed.
"The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we do not tolerate violence. We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding," read a statement from American Airlines.
The flight departed from Dallas and was en route to Newark, New Jersey before it was diverted to Maryland, according to the FBI. The flight then proceeded to its destination after the customer's removal from the plane, American Airlines said in its email.
Real estate company cites conduct for severs ties
Lundeen has been a licensed real estate broker in Arizona since 2001, according to the Arizona Department of Real Estate.
A LinkedIn profile that appeared to be Lundeen's and was visible Sept. 5, identified him as a realtor and listed Long Realty Company as his current employer. Lundeen had been at the company's Tucson and Tanque Verde office since 2013, according to the profile, on the professional networking website.
Kevin Kaplan, CEO of Long Companies, responded via email to The Republic's inquiry on Lundeen's employment.
"While real estate agents are independent contractors, the appropriate conduct of anyone associated with Long Realty is paramount to us. To that end, the individual in question is no longer associated with Long Realty," read a Sept. 5 statement from Kaplan.
The Republic's attempts at reaching Lundeen on Sept. 5 were unsuccessful.
Lundeen was released Sept. 4 with zero bail amount required and has a trial set for Oct. 19, according to court records.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tucson brokers cut ties with restrained man on American Airlines plane
