United Airlines Passenger Arrested After Security Concern
DENVER (CBS4) - A United Airlines flight bound for Denver was diverted to Vancouver after a security issue involving a passenger. The flight was rescheduled and should arrive at Denver International Airport on Saturday evening.
One male passenger was arrested after United Airlines flight 1104 from Anchorage, Alaska landed safely at Vancouver International Airport just after 4 a.m. Saturday. Canadian authorities took the man into custody.
One passenger texted her daughter about the threat on the plane. The text read, "Threat on plane. Forced to land in Vancouver. All is well but stuck here until later this afternoon."
United Airlines confirms that the crew discovered a threatening message on board the plane.
"I was really pretty nervous. I was hoping that everyone was okay but I wanted to know why or how somebody got through the security when everything is so elevated already," said Karen Pomeroy, the daughter of a passenger on board the flight.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police tweeted about the incident. The suspect has not been identified but is an American citizen.
"We are currently investigating a security concern originating onboard United Airlines flight UA1104. Their arrival in Canada was not a scheduled stop. Specifics about the exact nature of the security concern are under investigation but we can confirm this appears to be an isolated incident in which security protocols were enacted and the criminal code investigations remains active and ongoing", said Richmond Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cpl. Dennis Hwang in a statement.
The plane is a Boeing 737 with more than 130 passengers and six crew members on board.
The specific nature of the threat has not been released.
"I think the airline should have the responsibility of either contacting families or making sure that the people are safe and understand what's going on," said Pomeroy.
