SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Authorities are investigating Thursday after former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was videotaped hitting a satellite aboard a plane at San Francisco International Airport.
The video shows Tyson leaning over the back of his seat, repeatedly hitting the unidentified man in the head, drawing blood. The footage was first shared by TMZ, who said they were recorded on a Jet Blue plane traveling to Florida.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Tyson had an accident during a flight with an aggressive passenger who started harassing him and threw a bottle of water at him while he was at his place,” Tyson officials said in an email to the Associated Press.
Before the physical altercation, the man is seen in the video standing over Tyson’s seat, waving his arms and talking briskly while the former boxer sits quietly.
San Francisco police responded to a “physical altercation” on a plane at the airport’s inner terminal at around 10pm on Wednesday, officials said.
“Officers arrived and detained two individuals believed to be involved in the incident. Medical assistance was provided on the spot for non-life-threatening injuries. The entity provided minimal details of the incident and refused to cooperate further with the police investigation, “a police statement said Thursday.
Both were released pending further investigation, the statement said.
Another flight attendant, Sarah Birchfield, said she saw the man Tyson punched at an airport bar earlier look strong and quarrelsome.
“When I got on the flight, I thought, ‘Oh no, this drunk man is on our flight,’ Burchfield told SFGate.
Birchfield said that when she boarded, she passed Tyson’s seat in the first class of the plane.
“The warrior was sitting right behind him and I saw them interacting,” she said. Shortly afterwards, she heard the confrontation in first class, she said.
San Francisco police said the video was shared with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, which has jurisdiction over the airport.
Sheriff’s officials said “we are not releasing information about the incident because it is an active investigation.”
JetBlue did not respond immediately to an email asking for more details.
Since retiring from boxing, Tyson, 55, has worked as an actor, podcast and cannabis entrepreneur. He was in San Francisco for the annual Cannabis Festival 420 at Golden Gate Park, where he promoted his cannabis brand Tyson 2.0, SFGate reported.
Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history in 1987 at the age of 20. During his career he has 50 victories, 44 of which by knockout.
In the 1990s, Tyson served three years in prison after being convicted of rape. In this case, he maintains his innocence.
Tyson was briefly banned from boxing after shamefully biting off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a 1997 fight.
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