A Melbourne father says he “felt like an animal” when police officers tasered him and dragged him off a Jetstar flight.
Bolic Bet Malou, 30, was travelling back to Melbourne on a Jetstar flight with his wife and one-year-old son on Saturday when the carrier claims he refused to return to his assigned seat before take-off.
Footage shows the dramatic moment the father went from arguing with airline staff to being hit with a taser and dragged kicking and screaming from the aircraft.
He will now have to stay in Perth for four months to face charges of assaulting a police officer and disorderly behaviour.
Mr Malou said that the problem started when he checked in at the airport with his family and was told they had been moved to a smaller plane.
He claims he sat down next to his family before a flight attendant told him he was in the wrong seat.
“I turn around and I ask ‘Brother, is it OK if I can sit next to my family?” because the belt had already been fastened for myself and I did so for my kid and my partner,” Mr Malou told the Today show on Wednesday morning.
“He said ‘That’s OK, we are all going to the same place. There’s no problem.’”
He said at first the flight attendant approved the seating arrangement, but not long after she returned and told him he needed to move.
“She never told me the policies of the plane, had she told me the policies I would have followed the policy,” he said.
In footage captured by another passenger, Mr Malou can be heard explaining himself to staff before the discussion becomes more heated.
The situation escalated as Australian Federal Police officers boarded the plane and attempted to remove Mr Malou before using a taser on him.
“You’ve failed to comply with aircraft instructions. I need you to come with me right now,” demands one of the AFP officers, before a struggle ensues.
Officers can be heard shouting “Taser!” three times before Mr Malou is dragged from his seat.
Mr Malou told the Sydney Morning Herald he felt “humiliated”.
“I was tasered and carried out of the place,” he said.
“I felt like an animal, it doesn’t feel great in front of your one-year-old son.”
Passenger Jaeris Vansson told Nine the situation turned “violent” quickly.
“It just escalated so fast. It went from like just this argument with staff to this guy screaming at the top of his lungs being tasered,” Mr Vansson said.
“It was very violent and very sudden. Even I was shaking.”
Another passenger, Jordan, said he believed the Melbourne father was being “quite reasonable” and confirmed that passengers surrounding him were “more than happy” with the seating arrangement.
“I think it got completely blown out of proportion,” he told the Today show.
The plane eventually departed without the entire Malou family, and Mr Malou has since been charged with assaulting and obstructing police.
Three AFP officers allegedly sustained minor injuries during the incident.
Acting Superintendent Shona Davis said anti-social or illegal behaviour is unacceptable in any setting, and the AFP will not tolerate it at Australia’s airports.
“Simply put, we just need to treat each other the way we want to be treated – with respect and common decency,” Acting Supt Davis said.
“Choosing to behave poorly on a flight not only affects your travel plans, but also those of potentially hundreds of other people.
“This is why the AFP has no tolerance for poor behaviour in our airports or on aircraft.”
The man faced Perth Magistrates Court on Monday charged with assaulting a police officer, obstructing a public officer and disorderly behaviour in a public place.
He pleaded not guilty and will appear in court again on July 26.
The maximum penalty for these offences is seven years imprisonment.
A Jetstar spokesman said under aviation guidelines, passengers must remain in their allocated seat for takeoff and landing and comply with cabin crew instructions at all times.