Richmond officers bit by passenger arrested on plane at YVR: RCMP
Posted January 15, 2024 12:41 pm.
Mounties say a person who was arrested on a plane at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) Saturday bit and spit on officers while they were being escorted off the flight.
The Richmond RCMP says it received calls just after noon to “assist with an aggressive passenger on a flight” at the airport.
According to police, officers were told that during a flight to YVR, a passenger “had allegedly assaulted someone travelling with them.”
“Based on the individual’s behaviours, Airline staff determined they posed a potential safety risk to staff and passengers and were restrained,” the RCMP said in an update Monday.
The RCMP says police boarded the flight after it landed, adding officers were able to apprehend the passenger under the Mental Health Act “after a lengthy attempt to de-escalate.”
“While escorting the passenger off of the flight, they were actively resisting by biting and spitting on our officers. For the safety of our officers and the public, a spit hood was placed on the individual,” Mounties explained.
Initially, YVR confirmed to CityNews that a passenger was arrested on a Winnipeg-bound flight Saturday afternoon.
The airport said operations were not affected beyond the delay of this flight.
