Authorities revealed Tuesday that a federal air marshal was handcuffed and removed from a regional United Airlines flight after a crew member thought the man was a normal passenger with a gun.
According to the Star Tribune, Transportation Security Administration officials said the air marshal was on United Flight 3531 from Newark Liberty International Airport to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport when the incident occurred.
The marshal reportedly showed his firearm to a flight attendant during the journey, who then issued an emergency alert. When the plane finally landed in Minnesota, it was surrounded by police cars before officers boarded the flight and removed the air marshal and another man.
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Passengers on the flight reported seeing the marshal being handcuffed on the tarmac.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation questioned the two men at the Minneapolis airport and determined they were both federal air marshals. Officials said the incident was caused by a miscommunication between the marshals and the flight crew.
The TSA is working with Republic Airlines, the regional partner of United which operated the flight, to determine how the incident occurred and how they can avoid similar situations in the future.
