‘Disruptive’ passenger restrained on Jet2 flight dies
A man who was detained by other passengers for allegedly attacking another passenger and the cabin crew on a Jet2 plane died.
Police were called to reports that a passenger had attacked another customer and a member of staff and was behaving “disruptively and aggressively” on a Jet2 flight from Cyprus to Manchester in the early hours of Monday.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said officers used handcuffs to detain Callum Kerr, 35, from Warrington, when he landed at Manchester Airport but soon realized he was “unresponsive” and performed CPR before taking him to hospital.
Kerr, a bare-knuckle fighter, died Tuesday. The investigation into his death continues.
Kerr’s loved ones paid tribute to him, saying: “Callum was a family man, father of three beautiful little children, lover of sport and a heart of gold.”
GMP said it made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) because of police contact before Kerr’s death.
The force said officers were called shortly before 2.30am on Monday following reports that officers had behaved aggressively towards passengers and crew on a flight from Larnaca to Manchester and had assaulted a passenger and cabin crew member.
Officers boarded the aircraft upon arrival and located Kerr, who was restrained in the rear of the aircraft by passengers and aircrew.
‘I witnessed violence’
GMP added: “Officers used handcuffs to detain him and, through the provision of first aid, immediately established that he was unresponsive and began CPR.”
Kerr was taken to hospital and died the next day.
Chief Supt Mike Allen said: “An investigation is ongoing to establish what happened during the flight and our specialist officers are keeping them up to date with all the information we know so far.
“I know there were a number of people who witnessed violence and disruption on the aircraft before officers arrived.
“We know that passengers and crew tried to detain the man to end the incident.
“Our detectives are investigating this to understand the full circumstances.”
“Support continues to be provided to the man’s family and loved ones during this time,” he added.
The IOPC said the officers were treated as witnesses “rather than being investigated for their conduct”.
It was stated that the investigation will look at the actions and decision-making processes of the five officers who boarded the plane to understand the events surrounding the man’s death.
The watchdog said it has begun collecting and reviewing evidence, including video footage from body-worn cameras and initial statements from the officers.
The IOPC’s Amanda Rowe said the investigation “will focus on the actions of the police, while a separate GMP investigation will consider the actions of members of the public involved.”
“We are in contact with Mr Kerr’s family to ensure they are aware of our role and will keep them and GMP updated as our investigation progresses,” he added.
The BBC has contacted Jet2 for a comment.
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