American Airlines passenger pleads guilty to assaulting flight attendant over menu choices
An American Airlines passenger pleaded guilty to assault after attacking a flight attendant during a dispute about the plane's menu options.
Robert David Croizat was seated in first class on a flight from Barbados to Miami on March 8 when he berated and attacked flight attendants, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the New York Post.
After taking issue with how a male flight attendant spoke to him when providing meal choices, Croizat allegedly insulted the airline employee by saying he was a "sh---y" flight attendant.
Croizat was angry "because he believed (the flight attendant) had been rude to him" and wanted "to voice his displeasure that only vegetarian meal options were available in the first-class cabin," according to court records.
Croizat's continued outburst drew the attention of a second flight attendant who approached the two men. He said to the flight attendants, "What, you want to call the captain?" and "aggressively, demandingly, and loudly" shouted at them to "get the captain out here," the complaint read.
During the incident, Croizat allegedly pushed a third flight attendant twice after she told him not to touch her. He is also accused of refusing to sit down, which resulted in the flight attendant calling the captain and informing him of the altercation.
He continued to "persist in being belligerent and non-compliant" behavior, the complaint included as a statement from the third flight attendant. The crew member told another passenger that help was needed to control Croizat, who admitted to having two drinks during the dispute.
Croizat would not settle down and pushed the second flight attendant – a female – and pinned her against the cockpit door before a passenger lifted him and placed him in his seat in an attempt to restrain him, which caused a glass of wine to spill, according to the complaint.
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For the rest of the flight, Croizat remained in his seat but continued to complain about how he was treated.
The second flight attendant placed a cart between the cabin and the cockpit to prevent him from contacting the captain.
"The captain called air traffic control to report the incident during the flight, informing air traffic control that there was an attempted breach of the cockpit," the complaint said.
Croizat was arrested when the plane landed in Miami. His attorney Barry Wax told Insider that Croizat pleaded guilty Wednesday in Miami federal court to a misdemeanor charge of assault. A felony charge of interference with a flight crew was dropped.
"This incident was entirely out of character for Mr. Croizat and represented an overreaction which he regrets," Wax said in a statement.
Wax told Insider that his client "got into an argument with a flight attendant whom he felt was disrespecting him. Two other flight attendants became involved, Mr. Croizat tapped one of them on the back of her shoulder when her back was turned, and after she turned to face him, he poked her in the shoulder two times."
Croizat's lawyer also purported that his client never attempted to make his way to the cockpit.
American Airlines did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.