PORTLAND, Ore. – An Alaska Airlines passenger accused of trying to open an emergency exit during a flight from Anchorage to Portland told investigators he has been diagnosed as bipolar and had not been taking his medicine.
Alexander Herrera's statement was included in a criminal complaint released Tuesday, just before the 23-year-old Arizona man made his first court appearance on a charge of attempted destruction of an aircraft.
The complaint states Herrera was polite at the start of the flight, but later made claims of being psychic and asked a woman seated next to him: "What would you do if I open the exit door?"
Passengers wrestled Herrera to the ground when he tried to open the door.
Herrera did not enter a plea. He remains in jail pending a detention hearing.
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