A Northridge, Calif. man was sentenced to two years prison on April 21 for assaulting a police officer after an in-flight disturbance resulting in an emergency landing at Kansas City International Airport in February 2022.
A Platte County jury had earlier convicted Juan Remberto Rivas, Jr. of assaulting a law enforcement officer and attempting to escape from custody following a three-day jury trial in March.
“After forcing a plane to make an emergency landing, this man assaulted a police officer,” said Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd. “He’s dangerous, and he deserves to spend time in Missouri prison.”
Rivas was a passenger on an American Airlines flight carrying about 150 passengers that departed Los Angeles on Feb. 13, 2022, bound for Washington, D.C. During the flight, Rivas attempted to open a passenger door of the Boeing 737, saying, “I’m going to f—ing kill you all.”…