Man Arrested for Opening Door on Taxiing JetBlue Flight Before Takeoff amid Alleged Argument with Girlfriend

"Boyfriend got mad, got up walked down the center aisle, grabbed the emergency door, ripped it off," a witness said

Jan 8, 2025 - 10:50
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Man Arrested for Opening Door on Taxiing JetBlue Flight Before Takeoff amid Alleged Argument with Girlfriend

"Boyfriend got mad, got up walked down the center aisle, grabbed the emergency door, ripped it off," a witness said

JetBlue flight at Logan Airport
JetBlue flight at Logan Airport

A man has been arrested after opening the door of a taxiing JetBlue plane at Logan Airport in Boston on Tuesday, Dec.7.

According to CBS News, witnesses revealed that the individual — who has not been named — had been arguing with his girlfriend, resulting in the man opening the emergency door of the aircraft and delaying the flight.

Per the outlet, passenger Fred Wynn, who sat in front of the man and his girlfriend, spoke to WBZ-TV about the experience on the plane, which was set to travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

PEOPLE reached out to the Massachusetts State Police and the Massachusetts Port Authority for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

"Boyfriend and girlfriend were arguing behind me," Wynn said. "Boyfriend got mad, got up walked down the center aisle, grabbed the emergency door, ripped it off, completely off. FBI agent tackled him, handcuffed him.”

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Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty A stock image of a JetBlue aircraft

Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty A stock image of a JetBlue aircraft

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The witness added, “Shortly after, state police came on board and took him off."

Massachusetts State Police told the Boston Globe that officers responded to the alert at 7:30 p.m. local time, with passengers restraining the man before police arrived.

Related: Plane Passenger Opens Emergency Door Midway Through Flight to South Korea

“A passenger on JetBlue Flight 161 opened an emergency exit door and deployed the slide while the plane was on a taxiway at Boston Logan International Airport around 7:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Jan. 7, “ a statement from the FAA obtained by PEOPLE noted. “The Airbus A320 was headed to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The FAA will investigate. Please contact local law enforcement and the airline for additional information.”

JetBlue maintained to PEOPLE in a statement that the customer opened the door “for unknown reasons,” adding that the “flight was eventually swapped to another aircraft and has since landed in San Juan. We greatly appreciate our customers’ understanding as we worked to address this situation.”

According to the Boston Globe and CBS News, a Massport spokesperson confirmed that no injuries occurred.

The man is reportedly set to face charges and will be arraigned in the East Boston division of Boston Municipal Court on Wednesday, Jan. 8.