A Former MMA Fighter Steps In During a Chaotic Flight
A former professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from Chicago played a crucial role in de-escalating a tense situation on a Frontier Airlines flight. The incident occurred on Sunday when an unruly passenger attempted to open an emergency exit door mid-flight while the plane was en route to O’Hare International Airport.
According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Frontier Airlines Flight 3345, which was traveling from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Chicago, was diverted to Miami due to a “passenger disturbance” reported by the crew. The flight eventually landed safely at Miami International Airport around 11:55 p.m. ET.
Upon landing, 51-year-old Juan Reyes was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including attempting to choke an off-duty flight attendant, trying to open an exit door, attempting to break into the cockpit, and attempting to urinate in the plane’s bathroom.
Law enforcement boarded the aircraft in Miami and removed Reyes, after which the flight continued its journey to Chicago several hours later. According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, flight attendants and other passengers reported that Reyes had tried to open the exit doors while the plane was in flight, claiming he wanted to get off the plane. Despite repeated attempts by flight attendants to stop him and get him to sit down, Reyes ignored their instructions and moved toward the front of the plane, where police said he tried to access the pilot’s cabin.
Flight attendants repeatedly tried to get Reyes back to his seat, even moving him to a different one. An off-duty flight attendant volunteered to sit in his row on the aisle. When the off-duty attendant got up to use the bathroom, police said Reyes attempted to grab his bag. After being told not to touch the belongings, Reyes allegedly attacked the off-duty flight attendant, trying to choke him. Other passengers helped restrain him during the incident.
While chaos unfolded on the flight, John Longood, a former MMA fighter from Chicago, remained calm and took action. He said he was grateful to be seated near Reyes and knew exactly what needed to be done.
“I just didn’t want anyone to get hurt. So, you know, it was my duty to do that,” Longood told CBS News Chicago. “I could tell he was heavily intoxicated, and who knows what else.”
As a former professional mixed martial arts fighter and Brazilian jujitsu black belt, Longood immediately jumped in to subdue Reyes. He described how he restrained Reyes as safely as possible, putting him in his row and laying him down, controlling his hands and feet.
Reyes managed to slip out of the plastic hand restraints that Longood helped place on him. “It was like holding a kid down throwing a tantrum,” Longood said. “I kind of tied his legs up with my legs and controlled his hands.”
Longood said he held Reyes down until the plane made an emergency landing in Miami, where local police came aboard. “I was joking with him. I was like, ‘We are going to be best friends after this, bro,'” he added.
Longood emphasized that if he were in the same situation again, he would do the same thing. “Absolutely. I know I’m capable of doing something like that. I know that I can do that and help people be safe,” he said.
This was the first time Longood had used his training outside the mat. His actions prevented further escalation and ensured the safety of everyone on board.
So far this year, the FAA has investigated 687 reports of unruly passenger behavior. CBS News transportation expert and analyst Robert Sumwalt explained that it is nearly impossible to open a plane’s emergency exit while at cruising altitude.
“We all know that airplanes are pressurized, and because of the pressure inside of the airplane itself, it is pushing against the doors and the windows and the latching mechanisms to make it physically impossible to open the door or a window in flight,” he said.
Reyes was arrested upon landing in Miami and faces a misdemeanor count of battery. He could also face FAA fines exceeding $40,000. The FBI is currently investigating the incident.
