ASSAULT – A Kansas City Royals minor leaguer has been hit with federal charges after he allegedly assaulted multiple passengers on a 10-hour Delta Airlines flight.
Details of the Incident
Darnel Silver Collins, an outfielder, started to cause problems just an hour into a 10-hour flight from Amsterdam to Salt Lake City on January 21, according to legal documents filed on January 22. ⁰
Documents revealed Collins allegedly physically tapped multiple passengers, followed them, spit on them and ‘physically intimidated’ a flight attendant.
Crew was also forced to move others who sat near the professional because of his behavior.
It is confirmed Collins is a professional baseball player and a team spokesman said they hope he ‘gets the care he needs.’
He Touched Without Consent
Collins started to become ‘loud and disruptive’ in the first hour of the flight as he started to continuously tap passengers around him without their consent, according to the legal complaint.
The minor league player’s behavior then ‘escalated’ throughout the flight as he started to follow passengers throughout the aircraft, a Federal Joint Terrorism Task Force officer reported.
A flight attendant decided to step in and pushed Collins away in order to protect a female passenger that he reportedly kept touching and following.
He Even Snatched a Woman
According to the documents, his behavior quickly became aggressive as he allegedly grabbed a female passenger as she exited the restroom.
Crew members and other passengers had to step in so that he would release the woman who he forcibly snatched, the documents revealed.
As his behavior continued, ‘approximately eight passengers had to be moved from the area around’ him in order to ‘avoid further problems,’ the complaint said.
He then sat on his knees and spoke to the passengers so aggressively that ‘Flight Attendant 1’ intervened because they thought it would get physical.
Another eight to ten passengers were placed in the back of the plane in order to avoid him, but he soon joined them ‘intentionally spit’ on another passenger and hit ‘at least’ two people with his saliva, the legal document said.
More Emotional Assault
He proceeded to approach a flight attendant and continually swore at her and became ‘physically intimidating,’ according to the filing.
Because of his violent actions, the flight attendant ‘felt unsafe’ and said she was ‘grateful there was a cart between them because if not, she felt he could have reached out to her,’ the documents revealed.
Collins was soon restrained with zip ties, but even then he managed to find a way to keep touching others, according to the documents.
‘Collins continued to unbuckle his seatbelt and stand up and cause problems even after being restrained, to the point where three seat belt extenders were connected together to put around his mid-section to keep him seated for the remainder of the flight,’ legal documents said.
During the final two hours of the grueling flight, a flight attendant had to sit and watch Collins as the other attended to the rest of the passengers, the affidavit said.
What Will Happen now?
He was arrested and charged for interfering with a flight crew and assault by striking, beating, and wounding. For the assault charge, he could face a fine or six months in prison, or both. For hurting the plane crew, he could go to prison for up to 20 years.
