Fellow passengers subdued man before BWI police arrest
Long Realty Company, where Lundeen listed himself as a vice-president, broker and realtor, issued a statement on Monday on social media saying it had “ended its affiliation” with the agent. The company said “the individual is no longer associated with or authorized to represent Long Realty in any capacity” and called the conduct “wholly inconsistent with the professionalism, integrity, compassion, and respect for others that Long Realty expects from those affiliated with the company.”
“We expect those associated with our company to uphold those values, and we have no tolerance for conduct that so clearly falls short of those expectations,” the company said. The statement did not name Lundeen.
American Airlines said in a statement that Flight 618 was traveling from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport on 3 September when the crew reported a “disruptive” passenger about two hours into the trip. The plane diverted and made an emergency landing at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport at about 10:15 p.m., the airline said.
Court records show that Maryland Transportation Authority Police arrested Lundeen at the airport and booked him on two misdemeanors. He was released on his own recognizance the next day.
Juan Mejia, a former law enforcement officer who was aboard the diverted flight, told ABC News on 4 September that the man identified as Lundeen had “made derogatory remarks to the staff of American Airlines and other passengers — racial slurs, vulgar language, very offensive to the women” sitting in his vicinity. The New York Post, citing police, reported that Lundeen also directed anti-gay insults at crew and other travelers.
Mejia and a friend accompanying him, Richard Olenick, said they intervened when Lundeen made the situation physical.
“Juan immediately knew that action had to be taken,” Olenick told ABC. “He got up right away and jumped in the seat right next to the passenger and began working on restraining him in order to keep the situation contained.”
Olenick supplied photographs of Lundeen bound to a window seat with duct tape and zip ties. The images circulated widely on social media, and links from those images to Lundeen’s professional listings at Long Realty surfaced publicly within days.
Lundeen did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Long Realty’s statement or the charges, according to the Guardian.
Lundeen was tentatively scheduled to appear in court in Glen Burnie, Maryland, on 19 October in connection with his arrest.