Man duct-taped to airplane seat and diverted to Baltimore says "I don't remember any of it"
A man who was duct-taped to his seat and restrained with zip ties after becoming unruly during an American Airlines flight earlier this month said that he had two drinks and didn't remember anything about the incident.
Audio from Layne Lundeen's initial hearing at a detention center in Annapolis, Maryland, was obtained by our media partner, the Baltimore Banner.
Lundeen, 67, was flying on Sept. 3 from Dallas to Newark, New Jersey. But the flight was diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).
Witnesses on the plane told CBS News New York that Lundeen's behavior -- which included screaming profanities and racial slurs and becoming physically abusive -- was putting other passengers at risk.
Lundeen, who is from Tucson, Arizona, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
"What a mess," Lundeen called his behavior
"I don't remember any of what happened," Lundeen told District Court Commissioner George Haag during a Sept. 4 hearing, the Banner reported. He said he drank two screwdriver drinks leading up to the incident.
At the beginning of the hearing, when Haag advised Lundeen of the charges against him, he responded, "I assaulted a police officer? Is that what it says? I don't have my glasses." After Haag read the accusations he was facing, Lundeen continued, "Oh my God. What a mess... I don't remember any of it."
Lundeen said all he remembered was talking to the man seated next to him. The man was Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic rabbi and author, the Banner reported. Cahn has written several best-selling novels and leads the Beth Israel Worship Center, a congregation in Wayne, New Jersey.
Cahn told the Banner he was sitting in the last aisle seat in first class on the flight, while Lundeen had the window seat. Cahn and Lundeen talked for about two hours without issues, he said. Then Cahn said that at one point, Lundeen made antisemitic remarks to him and attacked him. Police did not detail those allegations in court documents.
Scuffle with seatmate led to flight's diversion
The American Airlines pilot flying the plane announced an emergency landing because of the dispute between the two men. Two men seated a couple of rows ahead got the duct tape and restrained Lundeen, according to Cahn.
After the incident, Lundeen reported that he worked for Long Realty as a managing partner. In a statement on Facebook, Long Realty wrote that when the company learned of the allegations, it "promptly ended its affiliation with the individual."
"The conduct described in the reports is wholly inconsistent with the professionalism, integrity, compassion, and respect for others that Long Realty expects from those affiliated with the company," the statement said. "We expect those associated with our company to uphold those values, and we have no tolerance for conduct that so clearly falls short of those expectations."
