Mike Tyson will not face criminal charges for punching a man on a plane last month.
The incident took place on a 10:30 p.m. JetBlue flight headed from San Francisco to Florida on April 20.
Cellphone video appears to show an intoxicated man, who appears to be an overzealous fan, harassing the boxing legend.
Mike Tyson reportedly told the man to chill several times.
At some point, the man, later identified as Melvin George Townsend III, allegedly threw a water bottle at Mike.
That’s when Mike Tyson lost his patience with Melvin and punched him a few times to calm him down.
San Mateo County, California, District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe declined to file misdemeanor battery charges against Tyson based on the circumstances surrounding the incident – including the conduct of the alleged victim.
Wagstaffe told CNN:
It is simply a case that does not belong in the criminal court.
If they want to sue each other, that’s their business.
Of course, Townsend denies throwing a water bottle at Mike.
His attorney, Matt Morgan, said:
Tyson became agitated by an overly excited fan and began to strike him.
This situation could have been avoided simply by contacting a flight attendant.
Our client denies throwing a water bottle prior to being struck by Mr. Tyson.
Based on the viral video, Melvin may have been too drunk to remember throwing the bottle.
The lesson here is:
If you play with a puppy it’s going to lick you in the mouth.
If you play with Mike Tyson…Godspeed.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: CNN
