CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team has found a man facing charges accused of flying into a rage at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
Cleveland Police video reveals multiple people were taken off a plane.
Police body camera video shows officers walking up to a man standing in the airport concourse holding his hands in the air, and they asked, “what’s going on?”
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The man knew he was in trouble for what happened at a gate, leaving a computer smashed and broken.
“I ain’t drunk,” the suspect said. “Had a few words with the agent. I told him I’m gonna board the plane. They said I can’t get on the plane.”
“Can’t tear the computer up,” an officer said.
“I know,” the suspect said.
The incident happened back in August. Police video has been released to the I-Team and Thomas Shipman, Jr. has been indicted.
The airline told police Shipman caused a disturbance boarding a plane, he had to get off the plane and then, at an airline counter, he turned violent.
Meanwhile, police video shows officers also escorting two other passengers off of the same plane suspected of being drunk and acting up. One of those passengers even got into an argument with an airline employee in front of police.
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But only Shipman was hit with charges. A police report shows he also threatened to kill an airline employee.
Yet, the video shows he told officers, “I ain’t hold a gun in my life. I’m (expletive) mad. Mad as (expletive).”
The court record shows the suspect pleading not guilty. Cuyahoga County prosecutors filed charges for felony vandalism, menacing and assault. Prosecutors say the cost of the damage was great enough to warrant a felony charge for vandalism.
Shipman told police it all started when he had trouble finding his sweatshirt.
He told police about his conversation with an airline employee, saying, “he said, ‘once you’re off the plane, you can’t get back on.’”
The suspect also told police he ended up missing a flight for a second time on that same day. Then, he took a trip—to jail.
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