An American Airlines passenger from Orange County is facing a federal charge for allegedly assaulting a flight attendant.
Alexander Tung Cuu Le, 33, was captured on video last Wednesday punching the attendant on Flight 377 from San José del Cabo, Mexico, to Los Angeles, California.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Thursday that the Orange County resident had been charged with one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants, which carries a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
In the video, the flight attendant appears to be talking to Le in the aisle before turning his back. Le then appears to lunge toward the attendant and punch him in the back of the head. Other passengers can be heard gasping as the suspect walks back in the other direction.
An affidavit filed with the criminal complaint claimed Le got up from his seat about 20 minutes after takeoff while flight attendants were serving food and beverages. He reportedly grabbed one attendant’s left shoulder and asked for coffee.
Moments later, he allegedly grabbed both of the attendant’s shoulders, according to the statement released by the DOJ. The attendant stepped back defensively, and Le walked to the front of the plane.
Le apparently loitered near the first-class cabin, at which point a different flight attendant asked him to return to his assigned seat.
The Orange County resident is then said to have “assumed a fighting stance towards the flight attendant by making closed fists with both of his hands,” according to the DOJ.
He reportedly swung his arm at the attendant but missed. The attendant turned away from Le and walked toward the front of the plane to report Le’s behavior to the pilot.
Le then allegedly rushed toward the attendant and punched him in the back of the head, as seen in the video.
According to the DOJ, he fled toward the back of the plane, and several passengers apprehended him near an exit row. His arms and legs were restrained, and he was moved to a different row.
The statement continued, “Le continuously unbuckled his seatbelt, causing flight attendants to restrain him to the seat with seatbelt extenders.”
American Airlines, headquartered in Fort Worth, released a statement condemning the alleged assault and expressing support for its employees.
“Acts of violence against our team members are not tolerated by American Airlines,” the statement read. “The individual involved in this incident will never be allowed to travel with us in the future, and we will work closely with law enforcement in their investigation.”
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), based in Euless, also released a statement saying, “This violent behavior puts the safety of all passengers and crew in jeopardy and must stop. APFA fully supports the affected crew members, and will do all possible to ensure that the passenger faces prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.”
