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Elderly retired doctor, wife sue airline, sheriff, deputies after couple kicked off plane
Louisiana Record ^ | 8/23/2019 | John Breslin

Posted on 08/24/2019 11:00:06 AM PDT by simpson96

An elderly retired doctor and his wife are suing an airline, some of its employees, a sheriff and his deputies, saying he was illegally arrested and subjected to excessive force after being removed from an airplane at New Orleans International Airport.

Dr. Johannes Markus Sieber and his wife Mina Margareta Sieber Schneiter, both 74 and citizens of Switzerland, were removed from a Delta Airlines flight at the airport in November 2016 following what they say was a minor incident over the placing of luggage in an overhead compartment.

According to the suit filed in the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, as Sieber was attempting to put his wife's luggage in the compartment he accidentally dislodged a plastic bag containing about 20-30 small packets that were approximately 4 inches by 1.5 inches. Instead of helping Sieber with the packets as they fell to the floor, a flight attendant went to the back of the plane and pushed a "red button" that alerted other attendants, the suit claims.

The suit further alleges breach of contract by Delta and damages for mental suffering, and unlawful arrest and use of excessive force by two deputies called on to the plane following the baggage incident. Sheriff Joseph P. Lopinto is named in the suit, accused of failing to supervise or properly train deputies Jesse Steer and Erroll Harris.

Sieber was charged with resisting arrest and striking an attendant with his luggage, which be denied. He said he was held in handcuffs in a cage, then removed to jail, where he remained for 16 hours. The Jefferson Parish District Attorney declined to prosecute him on those charges.

(Excerpt) Read more at louisianarecord.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: airlines; aviation; deltaairlines; johannesmsieber; louisiana; police
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1 posted on 08/24/2019 11:00:06 AM PDT by simpson96
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To: simpson96

“he accidentally dislodged a plastic bag containing about 20-30 small packets that were approximately 4 inches by 1.5 inches. “ ???


2 posted on 08/24/2019 11:03:24 AM PDT by PghBaldy (12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
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To: simpson96

Remember when journalists would actual try to get details of a story?

What are these packets?

Who owned them?

Typically, flight attendants don’t normally press the “red” button unless something is going on.


3 posted on 08/24/2019 11:06:23 AM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with islamic terrorists - they want to die for allah and we want to kill them.)
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To: simpson96

There’s something about the romance of air travel.


4 posted on 08/24/2019 11:06:47 AM PDT by Impala64ssa (Virtue signalling is no virtue)
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To: simpson96

Not enough info

Mid 70s Swiss doctor touring the USA with his wife were deemed a threat and forcibly removed

And he was held 16 hours in airport jail

Pretty bizarre

I’ll go ahead and say something racist

This is New Orleans ....Jefferson Parish deputies...

Could be nothing


5 posted on 08/24/2019 11:06:58 AM PDT by wardaddy (I applaud Jim Robinson for his comments on the Southern Monuments decision ...thank you)
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To: PghBaldy
Someone's chocolate milk packets fell down and no one offered to help pick them up, rather, the stew hit the alarm button.

WTF ??? !!!

6 posted on 08/24/2019 11:08:05 AM PDT by knarf (Oh ....)
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To: PghBaldy

Condoms?


7 posted on 08/24/2019 11:09:16 AM PDT by The people have spoken (Proud member of Hillary's basket of deplorables)
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Not much more information...

https://www.leagle.com/decision/infdco20190204965


8 posted on 08/24/2019 11:12:11 AM PDT by Rio
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To: The people have spoken

Artificial sweeteners? Stevia?


9 posted on 08/24/2019 11:12:23 AM PDT by OrangeHoof (Trump is Making the Media Grate Again)
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To: knarf

-PJ

10 posted on 08/24/2019 11:13:14 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too (The 1st Amendment gives the People the right to a free press, not CNN the right to the 1st question.)
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To: simpson96

Hard to tell from the description what exactly happened. And where was the flight’s captain during the encounter? If the captain called for assistance, I don’t have much sympathy for the uncooperative tourist, retired doctor or not.


11 posted on 08/24/2019 11:13:58 AM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: Political Junkie Too

LOL


12 posted on 08/24/2019 11:16:08 AM PDT by simpson96
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To: simpson96

I am outraged by this article. Because I do not consider a person who is 74 to be “elderly”. Okay, maybe I did when I was 20. But not now.


13 posted on 08/24/2019 11:16:11 AM PDT by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
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To: simpson96

It would have been OK, but he started yodeling.


14 posted on 08/24/2019 11:16:53 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: simpson96

It’s Delta - nothing unusual.


15 posted on 08/24/2019 11:18:31 AM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
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To: The people have spoken
1.5 inches... 😞
16 posted on 08/24/2019 11:18:49 AM PDT by EEGator
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To: simpson96

He accidentally spilled the cocaine supply of a member of the flight crew?


17 posted on 08/24/2019 11:20:03 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: simpson96

Airplane waitresses are on a major power trip these days.


18 posted on 08/24/2019 11:23:27 AM PDT by stinkerpot65 (Global warming is a Marxist lie.)
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To: SkyDancer

People need to quite suing and just take responsibility for their actions... selfish and inconsiderate world today doesn’t say enough!


19 posted on 08/24/2019 11:24:57 AM PDT by caww
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To: BradyLS

Looks like the chief stewardess called for help.

My guess is the doctor insisted on carrying aboard a piece of luggage that was really too big for overhead use. He repeatedly banged it around in different ways to get it into the bin, knocking other people’s stuff around and holding up the queue. He probably refused help and wouldn’t let staff store it somewhere else aboard the aircraft as, especially if the packets were he and his wife’s medication, he feared theft. The situation spirals out from there.


20 posted on 08/24/2019 11:25:54 AM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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