Darren Lyn
22 April 2022•Update: 23 April 2022
HOUSTON, Texas
Former professional heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was caught on video punching a fellow passenger as they boarded a plane in the US city of San Francisco.
The incident happened Wednesday at San Francisco International Airport as passengers were getting on a Jet Blue aircraft.
The video shows the 55-year-old Tyson scuffling with the passenger seated behind him as he throws several punches.
“Unfortunately, Mr Tyson had an incident on a flight with an aggressive passenger who began harassing him and threw a water bottle at him while he was in his seat,” Tyson’s representatives said in a statement.
No arrests were made, but the San Francisco Police Department said officers were dispatched to a “physical altercation” on the plane.
“Officers arrived and detained two subjects that were believed to be involved in the incident,” the SFPD tweeted. “One subject was treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries. That subject provided minimal details of the incident + refused to cooperate further with the investigation.”
The passenger was identified as Melvin Townsend III of Punta Gorda, Florida. Criminal records show he has a history of run-ins with the law, including convictions for grand theft, identity theft fraud and drug possession. Townsend was also listed in 2019 as having “habitual felony offender status.”
A witness said Tyson had taken a selfie with Townsend just moments before the fight happened, but says Tyson then asked him for space, and when the man did not oblige, that is when Tyson began throwing punches.
Pictures from the scene appeared to show Townsend with a bloodied forehead and a torn shirt.
Tyson was in San Francisco to promote a new social media app.
