A man was arrested after, officials said, he started a fight during a flight to Miami from Philadelphia and the victim said it started for no reason.
Keanu Evans, the victim, said he wanted to clear the air after video of his fight with Ishaan Sharma went viral on social media.
Cell phone footage from nearby passengers captured Evans and Sharma in the middle of the brawl as other passengers plead for them to stop.
“Let him go,” said an unidentified passenger. “Stop, let him go.”
A flight attendant reportedly tried to break up the fight on the plane, but was unsuccessful.
“Sir, you have to sit down.” a flight attendant, seen on video, tells the men.
Speaking to 7News on Tuesday evening, Evans said he was attacked while simply returning to his seat and did nothing to provoke Sharma.
“What I hate is that the video doesn’t capture what started the whole thing, you know?” said Evans. “It only captures me defending myself.”
He said the cell phone footage doesn’t show what happened before the fight started that caused him to react.
“He was doing some, like, dark laugh like, ha ha ha ha ha. And he was saying things like, you, you puny mortal man, if you challenge me, it will result in your death,” said Evans.
After that encounter, Evans said he left his seat to use the restroom and made sure to tell the flight attendants what was going on, where they told him to push the button for assistance if it continues. Evans said he pushed the button.
“He kept threatening me with death.” said Evans. “That’s what made me get up and press the button above me and I just turned around and I looked at him and I responded to him. A lot was going on, and immediately he just got up and he puts his forehead on my forehead like he was challenging me.”
And then Evans said the situation quickly escalated.
You know, he’s looking at me very angrily and we’re looking eye to eye, forehead to forehead, and then he just grabs me by the throat and just starts choking me. At that moment it was, you know, fight or flight responses kick in. I’m in a tight, confined space on an aircraft, and all I can do is just defend myself.”
Upon landing on Monday night, MDSO deputies immediately handcuffed Sharma and took him into custody. Officials said he had a cut on his face and needed stitches.
“If you see on my face, I’ve got some scratches from him scratching me on this right hand side.” said Evans.
Video shows Sharma walking handcuffed alongside deputies.
“It makes me feel bad because I don’t want people to get the wrong idea about who I am as a person,” said Evans. “I’m a good person. You know, I recently got baptized. The biggest drawback for me, what I wish that I could have done better, was just not go back to my seat and been more adamant like, hey, keep me away from this guy.”
Sharma faces a battery charge and remains in custody.