Denver-bound airline passenger arrested for refusing to turn off his cell phone

Passenger was aboard a Southwest Airlines flight

Alois Vetter


Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Posted: 01/03/2013
Last Updated: 135 days ago

INDIANAPOLIS - A Denver-bound passenger aboard a Southwest Airlines jet was arrested in Indianapolis for refusing to turn off his cell phone and later refusing to get off the airplane.

According to a police report from the Indianapolis Airport Police Department, two members of the flight crew repeatedly asked Alois Vetter, 45, to turn off his phone. The pilot of flight 1485 decided to taxi the aircraft back to Gate 4B and order the passenger to disembark. Vetter allegedly refused to get off, causing a disturbance and delaying the flight's departure.

"Alois Vetter refused to exit the aircraft which disrupted the lawful assembly of people attempting to utilize the airlines services [sic]," the officers wrote in the report.

Vetter was arrested for disorderly conduct in an airport and taken to the Marion County Adult Processing center.

According to the report, Vetter was traveling with his daughter. A representative of the Department of Children's Services signed a release form for her.

Vetter's cell phone was taken as evidence.

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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