A Utah man has been charged with assault after it was alleged that he held a straight-edge razor close to the throat of another passenger on a flight from New York City to Salt Lake City.
According to prosecutors with the U.S. Justice Department’s District of Utah office, he was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon on or near an aircraft as well as having a weapon with him while flying on Tuesday.
A federal public defender’s office was assigned to represent Merrill Darrell Fackrell, 41, of Syracuse, Utah, a neighbourhood north of Salt Lake City. The office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Authorities assert that he entered a plane at John F. Kennedy International Airport while carrying a straight-edge razor that was disguised and marketed to barbers.
Considering that AAA anticipates more than 53.4 million people to travel for Thanksgiving, the incident took place on Monday, the first day of one of the biggest travel weeks of the year.
According to the criminal complaint, Fackrell attempted to block the screen of a woman who was viewing a movie in the seat next to him with his hand after having, as stated by officials, “many alcoholic beverages.”
Prosecutors said that the woman claimed he told her to pause the movie while holding the razor close to her throat.
The woman’s husband had left his seat in the adjacent row to seek assistance.
The woman spoke to NBC station KSL, who withheld her name, and said, “He was going to get help because he realized something was extremely weird.” “He didn’t intend to leave me alone to deal with a man brandishing a weapon,” I said.
According to the prosecution, the woman lunged into the aisle but was unharmed.
It reported the couple had been brought to the front of the aircraft.
On Wednesday, Fackrell was ordered held by Magistrate Judge Daphne A. Oberg of the U.S. District Court in Utah.
His defence had argued that he should be allowed to return to his parent’s home in Utah because he had no prior convictions and needed medical attention.
