On Monday, Aug. 9, 2010 around noon, a JetBlue flight attendant allegedly got into an argument with a passenger while taxiing into the gate at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on a flight from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The 38-year-old man, Steven Slater, was said to have assisted a woman who was struggling with her carry-on luggage, according to Slater's lawyer Howard Turman.
After Slater was hit in the head with the woman's carry-on luggage, he asked for an apology. The woman had allegedly attempted to grab her luggage from an overhead bin despite requests to stay in her seat until the plane was completely taxied into the gate. The irate passenger cursed out Slater saying, "Go F--k yourself," according to reports.
Slater allegedly cursed out the entire aircraft when not receiving such apology. He then grabbed a beer from the kitchen galley and exited the plane via an emergency slide. Shortly after running off the tarmac and heading home, Slater was arrested.
Court Hearings
As of Tuesday, Aug. 8 Slater was arraigned in court and asked to post $2,500 bail. He appeared in court with a smile on his face, but refused to comment to reporters. As of Tuesday afternoon, he had yet to post bail and could possibly spend a second night in jail. Slater pleaded not guilty to charges of reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and criminal trespass.
According to court reports, District Attorney Richard Brown argued Slater could have killed someone by deploying the emergency slide.
"The emergency chute deploys at 3,000 pounds per square inch within seconds and could easily injure or kill ground crews or others on the tarmac who are unaware the chute has been activated," he said. "This would have been a different arraignment if someone had been standing under the emergency chute when it deployed."
June Donovan of JetBlue Security claimed Slater's actions caused damage to the emergency escape slide. The cost to replace such an emergency slide is in excess of $25,000, according to court reports.
Saving Steven Slater
Since news of Slater's infamous job resignation, hoards of people have begun creating groups and Facebook pages in his support, some calling him a hero. A "Free Steven Slater" Facebook page had over 12,000 people in support by Tuesday, Aug. 10 afternoon. The page alludes that the woman who hit Slater on the head with her carry on luggage should be prosecuted, not him.
Another Facebook page entitled "Steven Slater Legal Defense Fund," is asking for donations on Steven's behalf. Payments are being asked through PayPal.
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