Odd Airline Dispute Involves Taser, Man Purse

Irate passenger arrested this morning in London: police
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 20, 2015 10:54 AM CDT
Odd Airline Dispute Involves Taser, Man Purse
EasyJet planes stand on the tarmac of Luton Airport, Thursday, April 15, 2010.   (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Instead of in Belfast, a passenger aboard an EasyJet flight on the tarmac at London's Gatwick Airport landed in jail today after an argument over his "man purse" left him stunned—literally, police say. NBC News reports the budget carrier allows just one carry-on bag per flight and has strict rules about its size, yet a male passenger attempted to bring two bags aboard the Airbus A320, notes the Guardian. After an initial dispute at the gate, a witness says the passenger was allowed to board the flight, but "became more abusive at the back of the plane" and "refused to get off."

Police say they were called around 8am local time. Officers approached the man "calmly and asked him to step off the flight," but he "started shouting and demanding why his 'man purse' had caused a problem," another witness says. At that point, officers threatened to use a Taser if he didn't cooperate, the witness adds. "He had been very loud and aggressive by this point." Police ended up tasing the man and arrested him on suspicion of breaching the peace. Passengers and crew had to disembark for police interviews before setting off two and a half hours behind schedule. (More EasyJet stories.)

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