August 29, 2024, 19:18 IST
In the videos shared on X, the man can be seen rummaging through his luggage before suddenly pulling out a hammer and smashing computer screens on the counter
A would-be passenger was filmed using a hammer to destroy an American Airlines counter in Chile. The incident occurred late Monday at Santiago’s Nuevo Pudahuel airport, when the Haitian man flew into a fit of rage upon learning that a scammer had sold him a fake airline ticket.
Shock: Passenger destroys American Airlines counter with hammer
The angry traveler was trying to check in for his American Airlines flight to Miami, Florida, according to local media outlet Cooperativa. However, because his ticket was invalid, an airline employee told him he could not board the flight. In the video, taken by a passerby, the man can be seen rummaging through his luggage before suddenly pulling out a hammer and smashing computer screens at the counter.
ALSO READ: Melania Trump talks about the highs and lows of writing her upcoming memoir, which is soaring up Amazon’s bestseller lists
The English translation of Lieutenant Manuel Narváez’s statement to the news agency reads: “In a moment of anger, in revenge against the airline that had allegedly extended this ticket to Miami, he pulled a hammer out of one of his suitcases and began damaging clothes and materials at the airport.”
“In his statements to the Carabineros, he said he had bought a ticket to Miami through internet platforms because he was already returning to his home country of Haiti and that flight was never booked,” Narváez added.
READ ALSO: Republican senators demand answers as revised numbers show fewer US jobs created than previously reported
The passenger’s actions were deemed criminal as he caused damage of about $20,000 (20 million pesos). He was eventually arrested by airport security and handed over to the police. Several videos of the incident were shared on X (formerly Twitter), showing the angry passenger’s destructive actions.