EXETER, N.H. — An airline passenger who helped sort out a person attempting stab a flight attendant with a damaged steel spoon was honored Friday by his hometown police division.
Jeff Neil, a former bouncer who now works for a software program firm, acquired the “Citizen Award” for his actions earlier this month, which had been caught on video by one other passenger.
At a ceremony in Exeter, Neil mentioned he doesn’t take into account himself a hero however acknowledged the importance of what occurred.
“I truly was in the right place at the right time,” he mentioned.
Neil’s spouse Libby was sitting with him on the airplane. She mentioned she wasn’t shocked he jumped into motion.
“We both knew that he would be getting up,” she mentioned.
Francisco Severo Torres, 33, of Leominster, was arrested and accused of attacking a flight attendant and trying to open the door of United Airlines Flight 2609. The airplane was about 45 minutes from Boston when the crew seen the door deal with had been moved out of the totally locked place.
Investigators mentioned Torres admitted realizing that if he opened the door many individuals would die. He awaits a psychological well being analysis.
In the video, Torres could be seen loudly threatening to kill folks and promising a “bloodbath” earlier than saying he was “taking over this plane” and entering into the aisle.
Seated one row again, Neil instantly jumped up and tried to calm Torres and defuse the scenario.
Prosecutors say Torres approached two flight attendants and attacked one in every of them. Neil and several other different passengers rushed to the attendant’s assist and tackled Torres, then held him down till the flight acquired to Boston.
Exeter Police Chief Stephan Poulin mentioned Neil “exemplified what it means to be both a hero and a leader.”
“I just have a hard time allowing someone to assault a flight attendant,” Neil instructed the Herald earlier this month, recalling the way it all went down on a flight from Los Angeles to Boston Logan International Airport.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”