A man has been tackled to the ground in a dramatic citizen’s arrest at Brisbane Airport.
The man had caught an earlier flight from Sydney to Brisbane, and was at Gate 45 of the airport’s domestic terminal when he was told he could not board his next flight at about 11:45 a.m. on Thursday.
Witnesses claimed the man was seen sprinting up and down the aisles of the plane and taking off his shirt prior to the incident, 9News has reported.
When an airline staff member informed the man he was unable to board his next flight, the man allegedly began shouting abuse at the Virgin Australia staff.
Carrying a large backpack, and dressed in a white T-shirt and a green helmet often seen with Lime scooters, he was promptly tackled to the ground by another passenger.
The bystander was helped by Virgin Australia staff to restrain the man while they waited for police.
In dramatic footage of the arrest, the man could be heard shouting ‘f**k off’ to staff and continued to thrash and struggle against the staff holding him down.
He was arrested by an Australian Federal Police officer 15 minutes later.
The man did not resist arrest and was escorted out of the airport terminal.
Brisbane Airport issued a statement thanking those who stepped in to assist.
“Brisbane Airport would like to thank passengers who assisted following an incident at the Domestic Terminal near Gate 45,” the spokeperson said per the Courier-Mail.
“Passengers helped to restrain a man along with crew members until Australian Federal Police arrived.”
An AFP spokesman said the man had been charged with one count of assaulting an airline employee and one count of public nuisance.
They confirmed there was no ongoing threat to the community.
The man has been granted bail and will appear before Brisbane Magistrates Court on June 26.
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