Hero Passenger: 'My Hands Are Pretty Burned'

Amsterdam native helped subdue terror suspect, get him handcuffed

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 26, 2009 9:42 AM CST

(Newser) – Details are emerging today on how quick-acting passengers, one in particular, helped subdue the would-be terrorist aboard a Detroit-bound plane. One passenger identified as Jasper Schuringa tells CNN he pulled the suspect from his seat when the commotion began and dragged him to the front of the plane where he was handcuffed by a crew member. "My hands are pretty burned," said Schuringa, a director from Amsterdam. "I am shaken up. I am happy to be here."

Witnesses say they heard a pop like a firecracker, then saw smoke near the Nigerian man identified as Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. That's when Schuringa lunged over to the suspect's seat across the aisle and pulled a burning object from his lap, possibly a packet containing combustible powder or a syringe used to ignite the powder. "I pulled the object from him and tried to extinguish the fire with my hands and threw it away," said Schuringa. He and others stripped the suspect of his clothes to make sure he had no other explosives. He "was staring into nothing," said Schuringa.

[Images (3)]

[Videos (1)]

[Quotes (1)]

This picture provided by J.P. Karas shows Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on the runway after arriving at Detroit Metropolitan Airport from Amsterdam on Friday. (AP Photo/J.P. Karas)

Unidentified people leave leave the customs area at the Detroit Metropolitan airport in Romulus, Mich., Friday, Dec. 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Jasper Schuringa in a frame grab from YouTube. (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=MrUgee">MrUgee</a>)

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Passengers tell CNN what they saw and heard. (YouTube)

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Everybody got a little bit startled. After a few seconds or so ... there was ... kind of a flamish light and there was fire" and people around the immediate area began to panic. - Syed Jafry, passenger

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 46 comments

laughindragon

Jan 3, 2010 8:44 AM CST

Jasper Schuringa, how is he now?

Non-deep-thinker

Dec 28, 2009 5:34 AM CST

Huh? 'At this point in our country any one of us could be named "enemy" and stripped of our due rights'? wtf? You don't happen to have any examples of this do you? Wow. Guys murder people and the authorities and everyone else shows up with a whole platter-full of rights for them. I just have no idea what you're referring to here. If murderers aren't losing their rights, I'm guessing no one is.

Non-deep-thinker

Dec 27, 2009 12:24 PM CST

At least forum trolls like this guy are consistent. It never changes. Their first thought is ALWAYS for the terrorist, for the rights of the guy who slaughtered an innocent family of 5, for the killer, for the enemies of our country our troops are fighting-- their very first thought is always for THEIR rights, their comfort, their welfare. The victims always come second -- if at all -- or get some minor lip service in a throwaway sentence. Maybe what these types need to help clarify their thinking is for a member of their own family or loved ones to be victims of a terrorist attack or a criminal act. This might help them connect the dots, and understand it's not all just a big game on some goofy little chat forum. It would be a lesson in who actually wears the white hats and who wears the black hats. Until it touches them personally, they're not smart enough to make this leap of imagination.

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terrorist • Yemen • airplane • Detroit terror incident • Jasper Schuringa • Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab

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Hero Passenger: 'My Hands Are Pretty Burned'