A domestic US flight from Omaha to Detroit was forced to make an emergency landing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after a 23-year-old man allegedly tried to open the emergency exit door midair, assaulted a flight attendant and issued death threats. According to a report by The New York Times (NYT), the passenger, Mario Nikprelaj from Elkhorn, Nebraska, was arrested by the local police after the aircraft touched down at Eastern Iowa Airport. He faces multiple criminal charges, including assault, disorderly conduct, harassment and unlawful possession of prescription drugs. The incident occurred aboard Flight 3612, operated by SkyWest Airlines under Delta Air Lines’ regional brand Delta Connection. As NYT reported, the aircraft was carrying 67 passengers and four crew members when Nikprelaj, seated in an emergency exit row, suddenly lunged for the exit door shortly after takeoff. “One guy is yelling: ‘Hey, we need help back here! He’s trying to open the door,’” the NYT quoted Jonathan Spencer Van der Waarden, a fellow passenger who was returning home to Michigan after a work trip, as saying. Speaking to the NYT, Van der Waarden added that Nikprelaj had displayed erratic behavior throughout the flight, including standing up during takeoff. A video shared with the NYT shows the suspect in a white T-shirt, hands bound behind him, being escorted off the plane by personnel of the US law enforcement. The aircraft remained grounded for over two hours as the police collected statements from passengers and crew. The NYT report further revealed that during the descent, Nikprelaj allegedly marched toward the cockpit and engaged in further altercations with passengers and crew who attempted to restrain him. “He was just being very aggressive,” Van der Waarden told the NYT. Upon arrest, the police recovered 41 pills of Alprazolam (commonly sold as Xanax), an anti-anxiety drug, which Nikprelaj allegedly carried without a prescription or tax stamp. A criminal complaint, as per the NYT, said he may face further charges. Nikprelaj appeared before a US judge on Friday, who set his bail at $10,000. As of now, it is unclear if he has secured legal representation.
