‘Irate passenger’ situation Sunday at Charleston International Airport reflects ‘golden rule’ intervention training – Charleston Post Courier

When a disruptive, apparently intoxicated passenger refused to leave an American Airlines plane set to fly from Charleston International Airport to Philadelphia, it could have spiraled into a mire of reshuffled schedules and negative publicity.

The pilot was ready to cancel the flight. He called Charleston County Aviation Authority police officers to board the plane.

But unlike the incidentin April aboard a United Airlines flight in Chicago that went viral and caused an uproar, Sunday's tense moment ended calmly.

"We talked to him," CCAA Police Capt. Chris Helms said. "We de-escalated the situation, and rightly so."

The officer who spoke to the passenger explained the consequences, Helms said. The flight would be canceled if he didn't leave, and the incident would be reported to the FBI.

"Sometimes people can't think straight," Helms said. "We see people sometimes confused. They think flying is a right, not a privilege."

At that point, the man agreed to leave with law enforcement, Helms said. He wasn't arrested. They helped him book a later flight, and when he wanted to leave the airport in the meantime, they sent him off in an Uber.

The handling of the situation reflected the training and methodology of CCAA officers, Helms said.

"When it comes to these interventions, whether it's with the general public or it be a suspect or subject, there are a few things we keep in mind," he said. "One of those is the golden rule."

The incident was the first time this year officers had to board a plane at any of the three airports the CCAA operates, Helms said. That happened twice all of last year and resulted in no arrests.

Arrests are overall rare, Helms said. In 125,600 calls for service last year, CCAA officers arrested only 28 people.

The type of call they responded to Sunday, classified as an "irate passenger" call, sometimes comes from a plane itself but could be as simple as a passenger losing his or her temper while trying to find their gate.

"Sometimes they're having a tough day," Helms said. "Sometimes there's alcohol involved."

Reach Jack Evans at (843) 937-5491. Follow him on Twitter @JackHEvans.

Read the original here:

'Irate passenger' situation Sunday at Charleston International Airport reflects 'golden rule' intervention training - Charleston Post Courier