A man was arrested on Monday and hit with a litany of attempted murder charges after allegedly trying to kill the engines on an Alaska Airlines flight.
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office confirmed the arrest via booking records on Monday, with 44-year-old Joseph David Emerson being arrested by the Port of Portland Police, the law enforcement agency for the Portland International Airport in Oregon, and booked around 4 a.m. local time.
He is accused of attempting to kill the engines on Flight 2059 from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, California, endangering all passengers and crew on board. Records indicate that Emerson was an authorized occupant of the craft's cockpit, though he had reportedly been seated in the craft's flight deck jump seat. Later reports said that Emerson was an off-duty pilot during Flight 2059.
Alaska Airlines said in a statement that the suspect "unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines."
His motives remain unknown at this time.
"We've got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit, and he doesn't sound like he's causing any issue in the back right now," the pilot of the flight said, according to audio obtained by Portland news station KATU. "I think he's subdued."
Emerson, a resident of Pleasant Hill, California, now faces a considerable raft of charges, including 83 charges of attempted murder, a Class A felony with a mandatory sentence of 7.5 years per count in Oregon. He is also charged with one count of endangering an aircraft and several more for reckless endangerment.
In a statement to KATU News, the Port of Portland Police confirmed that his case has been taken over by the FBI.
Newsweek reached out to law enforcement officials via email.
Alaska Airlines said in a statement to Seattle's KOMO News that Flight 2059 had been operated by the company's subsidiary, Horizon Air.
"On Oct. 22, Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 operated by Horizon Air from Everett, WA (PAE) to San Francisco, CA (SFO) reported a credible security threat related to an authorized occupant in the flight deck jump seat," the airline's statement read. "The crew secured the aircraft without incident. Following appropriate FAA procedures and guidance from air traffic control, the flight safely diverted to Portland International Airport. The event is being investigated by law enforcement authorities.
The statement continued: " We are grateful for the professional handling of the situation by the Horizon flight crew and appreciate our guests' calm and patience throughout this event."
Update 10/23/23, 2:04 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more
