Add The New York Post on Google A dad of three died after he allegedly attacked a fellow passenger and a flight attendant and was restrained during a midair outburst aboard his UK-bound flight.
Callum Kerr, 35, was accused of “acting aggressively” towards Jet2 cabin staff and passengers before his flight landed at Manchester Airport on Monday morning, according to Greater Manchester Police.
Officers were called to the plane following reports that a passenger had assaulted another traveler and a member of the British budget airline’s cabin crew.
Police discovered that the passengers and staff had restrained Kerr at the rear of the plane, where he was unresponsive when they handcuffed him.
Kerr was rushed to a hospital, where he died the following day.
Kerr had been arguing with his girlfriend during the flight that had departed Larnaca, Cyprus, before attendants moved her to another seat, witnesses told the Warrington Guardian.
They also claimed Kerr, who competed as a bare-knuckle fighter, headbutted another passenger before fellow travelers stepped in to restrain him.
“Callum was a family man, father to three beautiful young children, a lover of sport and with a heart of gold,” his family said in a statement.
Greater Manchester Police said detectives are investigating what happened on board, while the force has also made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because officers came into contact with Kerr before his death.
“An investigation is now under way to establish what happened during the flight and our specialist officers have been keeping them updated with all the information we know so far,” Chief Superintendent Mike Allen said.
“I know there were many people on the flight who witnessed the violence and disruption prior to officers’ arrival,” Allen added.
“We know passengers and aircrew worked to detain the man to bring the incident to an end. Our detectives are investigating this to understand the full circumstances.”
The police watchdog said the officers who boarded the plane are being treated as witnesses rather than subjects of the investigation.
