A Wisconsin man was arrested for allegedly harassing Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr., a supporter of Donald Trump, for two hours on a flight from Milwaukee to Charlotte Saturday.
Police arrested Preston Bluntson, 36 of Milwaukee, on charges of intoxicated and disruptive behavior direct at Clarke, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Clarke is a known supporter of Donald Trump’s campaign for the presidency, and has spoken at the Republican National Convention on Trump’s behalf. He’s also spoken out against President Barack Obama’s campaign to subject state and local police forces to federal regulation.
Bluntson, who is familiar with Clarke’s political stances, said the sheriff was not “one of us.”
A passenger on the flight who asked The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel not to be named said that Bluntson was loud and disruptive, directing his comments to Clarke sitting at the back of the plane. “The guy was very abusive,” the passenger said to The Observer.
The sheriff got up from his seat and told the guy to “chill out” after Bluntson started harassing passengers and flight crew, according to a statement from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.
When the plane was about to land, Bluntson got out of his seat and started taunting the sheriff, “asking him what he was going to do about it.” the statement said.
The lawman, in response, shoved him down into his seat and held him there until a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer came on board to arrest Bluntson. Three to four other police officers met Bluntson after he left the plane while Clarke filled out paperwork on the incident.
Bluntson was released on bond from the Mecklenburg County Jail on Sept. 25, The Observer reported.
Clarke released a statement saying he was disappointed that no air marshal was on board and said that the United States Attorney’s Office should review the incident in order to send a message to people to not harass passengers or flight crew.
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