Officials investigating after restrained passenger dies on jetliner

NEW YORK (AP) _ Prosecutors are investigating the death of a man who was subdued by several fellow airline passengers after he became disruptive on a New York-bound flight, a spokesman said Sunday.
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Flight attendants asked him to wait until they reached his row, Smith said, but the man "got very, very belligerent and loud and disruptive and was told he would not be served any more alcohol."

The purser tried to calm him down, but he pushed her aside in order to get to the aisle, the spokesman said.

Seven other male passengers restrained Lee, who was a very large man, and they and the flight crew put flexible handcuffs on him and put him back in his seat, Smith said.

Lee got out of his seat again and the seven passengers held him on his back on the galley floor until the plane landed, Smith said. The men were reportedly members of a rugby team, but Smith said he couldn't yet confirm that.....

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--passengerdeath0320mar20,0,6175516.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork

As a fearful flier terrified by the prospect of a mile high panic attack I can sympathize all the way around.

Since we have the whole story with all the nitty gritty details courtesy of AP

--why bother with an investigation, just watch the Law and Order episode due up in 10 months with the CSI:NYC 'mystery' due in 3 months...

Rugby players, alcohol, a plane and 'a very large man' writes itself

and accused of being drunk, when actually she had early-stage Alzheimer's. (If I'm remembering all this correctly)

Before people handcuffed and sat on fellow passengers, how many passengers, crew, or aircraft were damaged by these unruly people?

... you erred on the side of "maybe i'm wrong here, lets wait a bit", nowadays you err on the side of "maybe there is 15 minutes of fame here".

"excuse me miss, could i --- and i'm asking this in the polite-ist terms i can, could i --- and i don't mean to stress you or anything, could i, --- and i know you are very busy and all, could i, .... .... could i maybe possibly have a bottle, a very small bottle will do, of wine to go with this rather dry meal?" "i don't like your hostile attitude, rugby team ... "