A man named Josh Longood caught a flight to Chicago, and during so, he ended up getting physical by restraining a passenger after they tried opening an emergency exit door.
And get this: He used to be an MMA fighter.
Josh Longood was flying home after attending the bachelor party of his brother, which took place May 31 in Puerto Rico. In the middle of the flight, a fellow passenger had allegedly assaulted a flight attendant and also tried to open the emergency exit door. The incident took place on a Frontier Airlines airplane. (RELATED: Nebraska’s Jordy Frahm Has Incredibly Dominant Season, Leads Cornhuskers To WCWS — And She Was Pregnant The Whole Time)
The 37-year-old Longood stated that he restrained the passenger for around 10 minutes, holding him twice over that span after the man got out of his restraints. From there, Longood kept control of the man for an extra 20-30 minutes prior to the plane making an emergency landing, which occurred in Miami.
Longood stated that he’s lucky to be a light sleeper, and only seats away from the scene.
On Facebook, he said that he was happy that everybody safely got home and wants the next flight he catches to be “significantly more boring.” Longood thinks that the passenger could have potentially been drinking and was acting erratic.
✈️ Passengers on a Frontier Airlines flight from San Juan to Chicago reportedly restrained a man who tried to open an emergency exit door and jump from the plane mid-flight, forcing the aircraft to divert to Miami, where it landed safely. pic.twitter.com/hIINxXa2kG
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 2, 2026
Longood used to be a professional MMA fighter and currently competes in BJJ black belt. He’s employed as a medical device salesman.
“He was just talking and acting crazy,” said Longood, per Mansfield News Journal. “I could tell he wasn’t going to calm down, so I just kept an eye on him because there were females and young kids around.”
The man attacked as an employee was going to get his bag that was placed beside him.
“I immediately responded and safely positioned him to where he couldn’t hurt anyone,” said Longood, per Mansfield News Journal. “I’m just thankful I was seated close to him, so I was able to resolve the situation without anyone getting injured. It was my years of BJJ training that helped me stay calm and handle the situation.”
Longood stated that if he had to do it all over again, he would.
“I’m confident in my training and abilities to handle real-life situations like these,” said Longood.