A Utah man accused of holding a straight-edge razor close to one other passenger’s throat on a New York Metropolis-to-Salt Lake Metropolis flight has been charged with assault, authorities stated.
He was charged Tuesday with assault with a harmful weapon on or close to plane and carrying a weapon on a flight, prosecutors with the U.S. Justice Division’s District of Utah workplace stated.
Merrill Darrell Fackrell, 41, of Syracuse, Utah, a northern suburb of Salt Lake Metropolis, was assigned counsel from a federal public defender’s workplace, which didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Officers say he boarded a flight at John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport with a hid straight-edge razor marketed to barbers.
The incident occurred Monday, firstly of one of many busiest journey weeks of the 12 months, with AAA anticipating greater than 53.4 million folks to depart residence for Thanksgiving.
Fackrell, who officers stated “had a number of alcoholic drinks,” used his hand to attempt to block the display of a girl who was watching a film within the seat subsequent to him, in accordance with a police account included within the felony grievance.
The lady stated he held the razor close to her throat as he instructed her to pause the film, in accordance with prosecutors.
The lady’s husband, who was sitting in the identical row, had gone for assist.
“He was going to get assist as a result of he knew one thing was actually off,” the lady instructed NBC affiliate KSL, who withheld her title. “He did not knowingly go away me to deal with a person with a weapon all on my own.”
The lady lunged into the aisle and was unhurt, prosecutors stated.
The couple was moved to the entrance of the aircraft, it stated.
Justice of the Peace Decide Daphne A. Oberg of the U.S. District Court docket in Utah on Wednesday ordered Fackrell held.
His protection had argued for him to be launched to his mother and father’ Utah residence — citing a scarcity of a felony document and a necessity for medical therapy.
