A 17 -year -old was accused in Australia after he allegedly approached a plane with a shotgun, police said Friday, with the authorities praising several people, including a former boxer who quickly defeated him.
The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, was subjected on Thursday afternoon by the crew and passengers in a Jetstar plane to Sydney before the police arrived at the Avalport airport about 35 miles southwest of Melbourne, said the state police of Victoria in a statement.
The child has been accused of multiple crimes, including illegally taking control of a plane, orchestrating a deception of bombs and having a firearm, police said, added that they had located two bags and a vehicle that was thought to belong to it. It was sent in custody and will appear in a children’s court on a later date.
A video released by the 7News Australian station shows the gunman who is stopped in a strangulator at the front of the plane and then pushed to the ground by several people. Police said there were no injuries on the flight, which took about 150 people and was subsequently canceled.
Barry Clark, one of the passengers who submitted the child, said he had passed a maintenance worker but “stirred” when a hostess at the entrance of the plane.
“I looked up and then in a second I saw the cannon of a shotgun,” Clark told Network 10 in an interview. “When I saw the full weapon, I said: ‘We are in trouble'”.
Clark then saw the gun to move towards the shaft of the hostess and decided to do something, he said: “All this is happening in seconds.”
Clark, a former professional boxer and shear shell, said he slipped behind the child, then pushed the gun and the separated hostess to prevent him from hitting it if the gun shot.
“Then I proceeded to do what I had to do and I just put it a little, I put my hand and twist and put it on my back, threw it to the ground and then put my knee on my back and held it in a position where you couldn’t go out,” Clark said.
The Superintendent of the Victoria Police, Michael Reid, said that the suspect was acting alone and went to the plane after violating the airport safety fence.
“Without a doubt, this would have been a very scary incident for the passengers of that plane,” Reid told reporters on Thursday, adding that the police “really praise the courage” of at least three people who could dominate the suspect.
The executive director of Avalon Airport, Ari Suss, said Friday that the airport had reopened and that it was “completely” supporting police investigation.
“As part of our continuous commitment to security, we have implemented new measures throughout the airport, even within the terminal and surrounding areas,” Suss said in a statement. “We continue working closely with the authorities to maintain a safe and safe environment for all travelers.”
Jetstar, a subsidiary of the Australian flag carrier Qantas Airways, also said he was cooperating with the investigation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the country’s airports had strong security.
“This incident is worrying for public members. I praise the work of police and aviation officials to respond quickly, ”Albanese told journalists.
