A Utah man returning home on a JetBlue flight from New York City was arrested and charged with bringing a straight-edge razor blade onto the plane and holding it to a woman’s throat in the middle of the flight.
Merrill Darrell Fackrell, 41, of Syracuse, Utah, has been charged with carrying a weapon on an aircraft and assault with a dangerous weapon in United States special aircraft jurisdiction.
According to the federal criminal complaint filed by the US Attorney’s Office, District of Utah, Fackrell departed on JetBlue Flight 871 from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York en route to Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah on November 21. Fackrell was sitting in a window seat next to the married passengers.
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During the flight, Fackrell placed his hand in front of the woman’s screen and told her to pause the movie. The woman removed the headphones and realized that Fackrell’s hand was gripped with what she believed to be a knife, inches from her skin in the throat and neck area, the complaint says.
Police board a JetBlue plane after landing at Salt Lake City International Airport to arrest a man accused of holding a knife to a woman’s throat mid-flight.
(Abraham Niederhauser via Storyful)
The woman’s husband went to the front of the aircraft to ask the flight attendant for help. The woman lunged into the hallway to get away from her and Fackrell caught up with her and tried to stop her by grabbing her shoulder.
The object was seized and later identified as a Facon wood-handled straight-edge razor with a one- to two-inch blade, according to federal prosecutors.
Cell phone video recorded by passenger Abraham Niederhauser shows police walking through the plane.
This file photo shows a JetBlue Airways Airbus A320 aircraft at the Cartagena airport.
(iStock)
Niederhauser told Storyful that he was two seats behind the suspect and noticed that he had something in his hand as he stood up. Niederhauser added that the situation occurred mid-flight and that law enforcement was waiting for Fackrell once the plane landed.
This file photo shows JetBlue ground operations and boarding at Owen Roberts International Airport. Airport on the island of Grand Cayman.
(iStock)
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The incident occurred days before Thanksgiving during the busy holiday travel period.
