On Wednesday, a man from Hallandale Beach appeared in the federal court room in Fort Lauderdale after authorities accused him of assaulting an American Airlines employee at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in October of last year.
According to criminal proceedings, Keith Charles Owens was initially arrested by the DFW airport police for appearing in public intoxicated on October 5.
He is currently charged in the Fort Lauderdale federal court with deliberate interference with security personnel. Authorities stated that, under federal law, boarding gate controllers are considered to be performing security duties.
Special FBI agent Kurt Duross stated in a declaration that the incident began after Owens went to the wrong gate.
Duross wrote that CCTV footage recorded before 4:45 PM shows Owens circumventing the boarding queue near Gate A36 and presenting his ticket to a scanner. However, according to him, he did not scan himself.
According to the statement, the gate controller told investigators that Owens was upset and late. The document notes that the gate controller told investigators that he told Owens he was at the wrong exit and directed him to Gate A35.
Authorities reported that the dispatcher communicated over the radio to staff at Gate A35 that Owens was heading that way and appeared to be intoxicated.
Investigators said that video recordings show Owens, dressed in a red sports shirt with the number 81, entering the jet bridge at Gate A35 without scanning his ticket.
"American Airlines staff stopped Owens and forced him to leave the jet bridge," - Duross wrote. "Footage from security cameras shows Owens visibly upset, and at one point, he aggressively approached an AA employee standing at the ticket counter."
Authorities stated that Owens returned to Gate A36, where footage shows him grabbing a staff member at the check-in counter by the shoulders and neck, pushing him back, then hitting him several times in the face and neck.
"The staff member pushed Owens back, at which point Owens fell to the ground, and other AA employees detained him," - Duross wrote.
Authorities reported that the controller received medical attention at the airport and was required to see a doctor three days later for additional treatment.
Owens' actions caused a delay for a flight departing from Gate A36 and resulted in many AA employees being unable to work for several days. As of Wednesday evening, there was no confirmed photograph or age of Owens. Additionally, the statement did not specify where he was planning to fly.
Court records indicate that he posted a bail of $100,000 and was also required to surrender his passport and weapons permit, and to refrain from excessive alcohol consumption as conditions for his release from custody.
According to court documents, Owens could face a fine and up to ten years in federal prison.
American Airlines commented on his arrest
In their statement, the company’s spokesperson said: "American Airlines does not tolerate acts of violence, and we are working closely with law enforcement in investigating this incident. We thank our team members for their professionalism in handling this difficult situation."
