Denver-Bound Flight Diverted To Canada After Passenger Makes Threat
DENVER (CBS4) - A Denver-bound flight was diverted to Canada on Saturday because of a security concern. The United Airlines crew says they discovered a threatening message from one of the passengers.
The flight finally arrived at Denver International Airport where the flight landed after a 12-hour delay.
Passengers told CBS4 it was a man who was removed from the plane by the Canadian police. Police confirmed the passenger is an American citizen. Passengers said when the Canadians came on board they came in force with the bomb squad and dogs. In the end more than 100 passengers were delayed before finally arriving at DIA.
"My husband has been texting me all day. It's been pretty scary," said a woman whose husband was on the flight. "When you hear guns on a plane … he thought there were guns."
The flight began in Anchorage, Alaska, but diverted to Vancouver, British Columbia, at 4 a.m. Saturday.
"Evidentially the threat he made was a verbal threat, but there was no shouting, there was no yelling," Elizabeth Miller from Grand Junction said. "There was no scuffling of any sort."
"We had received information from the flight crew of United Airlines Flight 1104 that there was a security concern by their flight crew," Cpl. Dennis Hwang with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.
"They just told us to put our hands up and look forward, keep our heads down," Miller said. "As soon as they took him off we were all able to put our hands down and it was fine."
Canadian authorities are taking the threat very seriously, but for now they're not releasing the charges or the name of the passenger who was removed.