Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumblePassenger on Vegas-bound flight strips naked, arrested
Published Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009 | 12:53 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009 | 1:58 p.m.
Beyond the Sun
A Southwest Airlines flight with a stop in Las Vegas was forced to make a return trip to Oakland today as a man fought flight attendants and passengers, stripped naked and was eventually arrested.
The man, identified as Darius L. Chappille with addresses in Oakland and Jefferson City, Mo., put his arm around a female passenger and exposed himself, causing her to scream shortly after takeoff from Oakland at 7:22 a.m. today, said Sgt. J.D. Nelson of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office.
"Then he punches her," Nelson said, hard enough that it sent the woman to a hospital in Oakland. She is being treated at Highland Hospital in Oakland for minor injuries, Nelson said.
Flight attendants and other passengers wrestled with the 300-pound man, who flailed at flight attendants and broke away, stripped naked and was lying in the plane's aisle as it made a return trip to Oakland to remove the man, Nelson said.
Back in Oakland, 10 Alameda County sheriff's deputies boarded the plane, Nelson said.
"He was naked at the time of arrest," Nelson said. Chappille was sitting in a seat at the time of his arrest. "It wasn't hard to spot him," Nelson said.
The man was taken to Highland Hospital in Oakland for a mental evaluation. Once his review is complete, he will be booked into the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, Calif., Nelson said.
Chappille was wanted on drug-related offenses in Jefferson City, Mo., Nelson said. He will be booked on the felony charges based on the warrant from Missouri and faces sexual battery charges in Oakland, Nelson said.
The FBI has been contacted and could file further charges. The charges against Chappille will be sent to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office for review.
Southwest Flight 947 arrived in Las Vegas about 10 a.m. and continued on to St. Louis, said Elaine Sanchez, spokeswoman for McCarran International Airport. The flight was delayed two hours and 45 minutes in Oakland, according to the Southwest Airline's Web site.
"I've been a public information officer for the sheriff's office for three years, and this is the busiest day I've had," Nelson said.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- Coolican: Henderson officials out of loop on police brutality case, raising red flags
- See mug shots of 16 arrested in stolen-property police sting
- Lumberjacks — ‘Where the Big Boys Eat’ — hiring for North Las Vegas location
- Berkley draws stark contrasts with Heller over immigration
- Send your loved one a virtual Vegas Valentine’s Day card right now
- Howard Miller, prominent lawyer and ‘true Las Vegas native,’ dies at 68
- Short memories may serve president
- Saying ‘No mas’ to government
- Police looking for man in white Ford Explorer
- Hispanic Museum of Nevada settles into new home
Blogs
The Kats Report
Live color from the scene at Thomas & Mack Center: We have a wire job! Rebels win, and Louie Armstrong sings!
South Point owner Michael Gaughan's take on 'Vegas Stripped': 'I'll give it an 8' (4 Comments)
Author relishes writing the life story of ‘larger-than-life’ Oscar Goodman (3 Comments)
Elsewhere
Landowner: All roads could lead to Uxbridge casino
Revel reveals smoke-free casino opening
Cirque du Soleil show in Sands China casino to close this month
Meet the woman behind Sheldon Adelson
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
He was coming over to Prive for their grand reopening.
Maybe he was hot and needed to cool down.. He might have been prevoked to show his goods.. Happens to me all the time on Delta.
What happens in Vegas . . . continues on into Oakland?
@ Teaser
No, I believe it's "What happens in Vegas ... STARTS in Oakland!"
LOLOLOLOL
THe Prive grand opening....LOLOLOLOL
I thought Ensign was in Tahoe?
So, did punching the screaming woman in the face get her to stop screaming, or did she just scream louder?
LOL Lenny, they gave her a hotdog.
Bummer!!!! Las Vegas looses another whale. What's steve to do? :(
Too bad there is not some method of cross checking these types of idiots when they either check in at the gate, or purchase a flight ticket. There were warrants active on this dude, so if noticed, he could have been arrested when he was planning to board. ..Well,guess that might become a little intrusive...but would help in a case like this. Dude must have acted odd when at the airport -- be enough to at least check him out a little I would think?
i fly southwest all the time and nothing fun like this ever happens.
Awesome idea buck!! Ooops, here comes ACLU!!
six degrees of seperation every big story seems have something to do with vegas check it out
Good job, government retards. All the freaking "homeland security" and you can't even stop a guy wanted on felony warrants from boarding a plane. Pathetic.
Sad, dead swimsuit models in suitcases and live naked guys on airplanes. If there was a God, it would be the other way around.
LOL at goingbust, bet he/she sleeps with an AK-47 under his/her pillow.
Stevem;
Where's the request for a photo of the girl? Those always make me laugh!
I'm surprised someone hasn't said he must be an illegal yet.
The guy is obviously a loon but will probably be charged as a terrorist.
This gives new meaning to "snakes on a plane"....
What an exciting flight! I wish I could have been there.
Never hear of a hottie stripping down naked on these planes!!
Whew, when I first heard this story I feared it was another bible-thumping politician gone wild. Luckily it was only a crazy person wanted on warrants!
Like someone else mentioned it is amazing how we have the TSA, DHS, no-fly lists, etc. but they can't cross reference that data for people wanted on warrants? What the hell? Unfortunately I know its true because I know of a black sheep in my family that has outstanding warrants and he gets on board flights just fine. Its ridiculous!
300 pounds??? 300 pounds??? GOOD GOD !!
great job TSA what a joke.
Nothing worse that a fat azz meth head freaking out just after takeoff.
I think his last word's were... I'm Rick James Beeotch!!!!!It's a celabration!!!!HAHAHA
Bad enough having to sit next to a 300 pound dude, but then he whips it out, and punches you to boot. Man, that lady had a bad day. She deserves first class for the rest of her life.
PeterGun, Read the story, I'm reasonably sure he wasn't a Nascar fan, Probably a Raiders logo somewhere.
plane trip?, drugs?, fat?, bizarre behavior?
sounds like a day in the life of Rush Limpbow...
My admiration for all flight attendants is great as I see how hard they toil and things like this happening from time to time. This big man could have done more harm than this and they did a good job of keeping the jet safe. Thanks to all the members of the crew.
He was heard screaming "Isn't this the Red Rooster?"
Bakersfield>The story said he had an address in Jefferson City, MO. Living in Misery...I mean Missouri myself, I can assure you, he was in fact a NASCAR fan.
hey henderson...
was that you???
NO SHIRT-NO SHOES-NO SERVICE UNLESS YOU OVER 18 & FEMALE
Why can't I get on a flight like that?
because you weigh only 290lb, thats why
He was just trying to prepare for the vegas climate.
Don't you loose your shirt AFTER you get to Vegas?
He probably got confused shortly after takeoff when the pilot anounced they were flying over half moon bay.I believe his reply was "I'll show you a real moon."
He was just airing out.....his junk!
Ok I will kiss it
sounds like he tried to date outside the family
Want to get away....?
Now you can, with Southwest's internet specials you can fly to 64 destinations nationwide between $49-$109, purchase by September 24......<ding> Now you are free to move around the country.
The reason the fat lard passenger cleared security before boarding was :
1)- he was supposed to be loaded in the cargo compartment...or
2)- he passed himself off as coach Tom Cable of the Raiders....and showed a demomstration onboard, while tweakin out as a wannabe Chippendale 'hanger on'.
There is a bright side to this though.... at least the guy didnt smell like piss like Greyhound Bus passengers do, and he couldnt wait to go daddy before the flight crew started on their standard onboard emergency procedures.
I'm sure the food court at the Excalibur was dissapointed he didnt show up to boost sales.
If Southwest charged by the pound, like they do on freight, he might have been forced to take a greyhound; sitting next to a big mac like that, is no picnic. I would hate to be arrested, then have my weight displayed. Better to be arrested and have normal weight, it looks better in the papers, I need to lose a few pounds myself; I gained it, by reading too many newspaper articles about Vegas flights. Fly me to the moon. First class, of course.