United passenger threatens to take over plane before allegedly attacking flight attendant (VIDEO)

A United passenger captured the terrifying scene that unfolded after a man allegedly threatened to take over a plane and attempted to attack a flight attendant.

The frightening incident occurred on Sunday, about 45 minutes prior to the landing of a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston, according to a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office.

The passenger has been identified as Francisco Severo Torres. According to the statement, the flight crew received an alarm that someone had attempted to open an emergency exit door on the plane.

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A flight attendant found that the door’s locking handle had been shifted out of the fully locked position and that the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the “disarmed” position.

Another flight attendant claimed that he had seen Torres near the emergency exit and believed the 33-year-old had tampered with the door. When confronted by a flight attendant, Torres allegedly asked if there were cameras showing he had done so.

The flight attendant then warned the captain that they believed Torres was a threat and that the plane needed to land as soon as possible, according to court documents.

This is where a video from passenger Lisa Olsen, originally obtained by Inside Edition, fills in the blanks.

The US Attorney’s statement says Torres allegedly got out of his seat and approached two flight attendants standing in the aisle. One of them saw Torres mouthing something unintelligible.

“I will kill every man on this plane,” Torres shouts in Olsen’s video. “Tell them to bring SWAT to shoot me down because they’re going to have to shoot me down today.”

“Just put up your hands and say don’t kill me then, or don’t approach me,” he adds.

“I’m taking over this plane,” Torres says before moving into the aisle holding what’s allegedly a broken metal spoon.

Man tackled by passengers after trying to open the emergency exit door and then attempting to stab a flight attendant with a broken spoon while on a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston. https://t.co/c3YKFFlytw pic.twitter.com/abeTaNJnTO

— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) March 7, 2023

He then moves towards one of the flight attendants in a stabbing motion. According to the US Attorney’s Office, the attendant was hit in the neck area three times.

In the video, you can then see passengers tackling Torres, who was then restrained with the help of the flight crew.

Torres was immediately taken into custody after the flight arrived in Boston.

He was charged with one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon.