American Airlines flight delayed after passenger refuses to leave stolen seat

An American Airlines passenger flying from Dallas Fort Worth to Los Angeles took another passenger’s bulkhead seat and refused to give it up, arguing that it was his by right due to his U.S. citizenship. Despite requests from flight attendants to move, all passengers were eventually deplaned to remove him peacefully.

The man had been assigned a seat further back in the aircraft. The rightful occupant of the bulkhead seat, identified in a checkered shirt in video footage, naturally expected to sit there. The interloper became agitated and loudly asserted, “I’m a citizen of the United States,” as justification for his actions.

Flight attendants attempted to manage the situation by informing him that his behavior was inappropriate and that he would be removed from the flight if he did not comply. Undeterred, he challenged them to call the police, saying, “Ok. Get the police here. Take me to jail.”