Man Punched By Mike Tyson on Plane Seeks $450K

In 2022, the world was shocked when footage emerged of former heavyweight Mike Tyson punching a fellow passenger on a plane. Nearly two years later, the passenger is suing Tyson and JetBlue for damages. Is he within his rights, and does the statute of limitations apply?

What Happened on the 2022 Jet Blue Flight?

On April 20, 2022, the passenger, Melvin Townshend, then 36, found himself seated behind Mike Tyson on a Jet Blue flight from San Francisco to Orlando.

Townshend claims he began expressing admiration for the boxer and bought cocktails for Mike Tyson on the plane. He described himself as “a fan of Mr. Tyson who was happy to be speaking to one of his childhood heroes.”

He stated that, at some point in the conversation, he offered Townshend and his flying companion psilocybin mushrooms, which they declined. Court documents show that Tyson asked the person who was flying with him, whom he identified as his manager, for the mushrooms. The manager would not give them to him.

Then suddenly, Tyson stood up and began punching Townshend repeatedly.

“Mr. Tyson punched Plaintiff numerous times in the head, face, and neck, tore the neck off Plaintiff’s shirt, and caused Plaintiff to bleed from both sides of his head,” the complaint states.

Townshend describes himself as 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 170 pounds. He had no way to defend himself against the much larger boxer.

He claimed Tyson punched him ten times. The boxer stopped only when Tyson’s traveling companion inserted himself between Tyson and Townshend. He said the incident caused him great physical and emotional distress.

A fellow passenger captured footage of the incident and later released it to TMZ before going viral.

Tyson’s Response

Tyson had a somewhat different version of the story. He referred to Townshend as “an aggressive passenger who began harassing him and threw a bottle of water at him while he was in his seat.”

He also said the passenger was f**king with me” and shouldn’t be allowed to fly on “public planes.”

Townsend sent Tyson a “pre-litigation settlement demand” of $450,000, hoping to settle the matter out of court. Tyson refused to settle, stating that he would “Be 100% refuting these ridiculous claims.”

What About the Statute of Limitations?

A statute of limitations sets a maximum time after an incident in which legal proceedings may be initiated. In California, where the claim was filed, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years. That means the victim would have two years from the incident date to press charges against the defendant.

Townshend filed his complaint on April 19, 2024, one day before the statute of limitations would expire. He is perfectly within his rights to pursue damages.

The plaintiff has filed seven complaints. The three against Tyson include battery, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

He also filed four complaints against JetBlue for negligence, premises liability, common carrier liability, and negligent hiring, retention, and supervision. The airline did not respond to comment requests.