It is never a pretty sight when someone loses their cool in public, especially if the person is a celebrity.
On Wednesday evening (20 Apr), former boxer Mike Tyson punched an overly excited fan on an airplane bound to Florida from San Francisco.
The man suffered a bloodied forehead. The police then arrived at the San Francisco International Airport and apprehended two subjects.
On 20 Apr, 55-year-old Mr Tyson was on a JetBlue 10.30pm flight bound for Florida when a man started talking to him before the plane took off.
The overly excited 36-year-old man, whom CBS has identified as Mr Melvin Townsend III, was a big fan of Mr Tyson and asked to take a selfie with him.
Source: YouTube
According to TMZ, a witness said Mr Tyson was “initially cool” with Mr Townsend and other passengers.
But things took a turn for the worse after the fan, who was seated behind Mr Tyson, took a selfie with the former boxer. Even after the selfie, the excited Mr Townsend kept trying to talk to him.
Source: YouTube
A “visibly upset” Mr Tyson told him to stop talking to him, but the latter did not, CBS reported quoting a witness.
That was when the boxing champion started raining punches on Mr Townsend’s head, which bloodied his forehead.
Mr Tyson walked off the plane “just seconds” later, according to TMZ.
According to CBS, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) said they apprehended then later released two subjects, whom they declined to name.
But they did share that one of the subjects was being treated for “non-threatening injuries” but gave “minimal details” and refused to cooperate with the investigation.
TMZ reported that the video of the altercation had been sent to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Radar Online, Mr Tyson said he was provoked into turning around and striking the fan when the latter threw a water bottle at him.
A legal representative of Mr Townsend said his client has denied throwing the water bottle at the former boxing champion. Said to “still be in shock”, he has hired legal counsel due to his injuries and the “associated media inquiries”.
To date, he has not sued Mr Tyson for the assault.
Since then, CBS stated that Mr Townsend has a “lengthy criminal history” and was listed as a “habitual felony offender’ in 2019 after receiving a 25-year sentence for grand theft.
In an update, TMZ reported that Mr Townsend had been “extremely intoxicated” during the incident.
When we are tired or stressed, we may lose control of our emotions when provoked. But we should never forget that our actions have consequences, and that violence is never the answer to anything.
Hopefully, Mr Townsend will receive the medical attention he needs. We also trust that the police investigation will shed light on what really happened.
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Featured image adapted from CBS Los Angeles on YouTube.
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