US citizen stabs pilot and hijacks plane in Belize – Washington Examiner
A U.S. man identified as Akinyela Taylor, 49, believed to be a military veteran, hijacked a small Tropic Air plane in Belize while it was flying from Corozal to San Pedro. During the incident, which occurred around 8:30 a.m. local time, Taylor stabbed two passengers and the pilot while demanding to be flown back to the U.S.The plane eventually landed safely at an airport in Ladyville after circling for nearly two hours with police surveillance. One of the wounded passengers, Chester Williams, who had a licensed firearm, shot and killed Taylor in self-defense but remains in critical condition. The incident has been described as “horrifying” by U.S. State Department officials, who acknowledged that it could have resulted in a mass casualty event given the number of people on board. The motives behind Taylor’s actions are currently unclear, and authorities are continuing their examination.
US citizen stabs pilot and hijacks plane in Belize
A U.S. man believed to be a military veteran hijacked a small plane in Belize on Thursday, stabbing two passengers and the pilot before being shot and killed by one of the injured people, according to officials from Belize and the United States.
The plane landed safely despite the incident.
The Tropic Air plane, which was flying from Corozal to San Pedro, was carrying 14 passengers and two crew members. Akinyela Taylor, 49, of St. Louis, Missouri, was identified as the hijacker.
U.S. Embassy in Belize spokesman Luke Martin said Taylor, brandishing a knife, demanded to be flown out of the country and returned to the United States. According to authorities, he pleaded for the plane to land and add more fuel.
“We don’t know why he wanted to go back to the United States,” Martin said.
Authorities declared an emergency when the incident started around 8:30 a.m. local time. The plane circled in the air for nearly two hours and was closely followed by a police helicopter. It eventually landed safely at an airport in Ladyville, Belize.
One of the passengers, who was stabbed in the back and suffered a puncture to his lungs, shot and killed Taylor. A Belize police commissioner said the passenger, Chester Williams, was licensed to carry a firearm and remains in critical condition. The other two wounded passengers are being treated at the hospital as well.
Williams identified Taylor as a U.S. military veteran, though U.S. officials did not confirm this.
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U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce called the incident “horrifying” at a news conference. Authorities have not detailed a motive for the attack.
“We are grateful, I think all of us are, that that did not turn into a mass casualty event with, I believe, over a dozen people on the plane,” Bruce said. “Clearly, we know a few details. We don’t know much more.”
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