Aviation News, Headlines & Alerts
 
Category: <span>Disruptive Passenger</span>

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Naked Flying Man Returned to Madrid


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Contact photographer Gerry Stegmeier

What: Iberia Airbus A319-100 en route from Madrid Spain to Frankfurt Germany
Where: Madrid
When: Jun 9th 2011
Who: 110 passengers
Why: After takeoff, one of the passengers undressed, and attacked the flight attendant who inquired about his naked condition. The pilot returned to Madrid. The plane was met at the gate by officials in Madrid, although no charges were filed.


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On Board Fisticuffs over Washington DC


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Contact photographer Gerry Stegmeier

What: United Airlines Boeing 767 en route from Chantilly Virginia to Ghana
Where: en route
When: May 29 , 2011
Who: 144 passengers
Why: After passenger one reclined his seat into passenger two’s lap, passenger two objected
and slapped passenger one in the head. Apparently passenger one retaliated. This escalated into a fight, which had to be broken up by passenger 3 and a flight attendant.

The fight that erupted between passengers resulted in a fighter escort from Andrews Air Force Base being sent in to shadow the flight on its return/diversion to Washington.

No one was arrested and no charges were filed, but police did meet the UA flight on its arrival. The flight was delayed for eighteen hours.


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Friday Court Date for Al-Murisi

gavel
Rageh Ahmed Mohammed Al-Murisi was arrested after attempting to storm the cockpit of an American Airlines Chicago to San Francisco Flight. The plane was carrying 156 passengers and six crew members.

When he was observed attempting to enter the cockpit, witnesses initially believed he may have mistaken it for the bathroom, until he shouted “Allahu Akbar” thirty times, and, according to the court affidavit, (quoting Air Marshal Paul Howard), Al-Murisi made eye contact with a crew member, lowered his shoulder and rammed the door.

A retired Secret Service agent and a former police officer were among those who subdued Al-Murisi.

28 year old Al-Murisi, who is from Yemen but is now a California resident, boarded without luggage but with several forms of id. He was denied bail and is scheduled for court on May 13. The charge is one count of interfering with flight crew members.


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St. Louis: Unruly Passenger Left Behind

What: Continental Airlines Boeing 737-800 en route from Houston to Chicago
Where: Saint Louis
When: May 8th 2011
Who: disruptive passenger
Why: While en route, a passenger attempted to open a plane door, saying he had to get out of the plane. He was subdued and restrained, as the flight diverted to Lambert International Airport, where the passenger in question was released into police custody. Charges may be pending.


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Unruly United Airlines Passengers Trip Cut Short


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Contact photographer Frank Robitaille

What: United Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Washington to Portland
Where: Chicago
When: Mar 29 2011
Who: 3 unruly passengers and one ill passenger
Why: While en route, three unruly passengers caused the pilot to divert to Chicago for an overweight landing. The passengers disembarked, and the fight continued to Portland, albeit between four and five hours late. The passengers who disembarked were re-screened.


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Disorderly Passenger Dropped off IN Salt Lake


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Contact photographer Fabrizio Gandolfo

What: Jetblue Airbus A320-200 en route from San Francisco,CA to Fort Lauderdale,FL
Where: Salt Lake City
When: Jan 24th 2011
Who: 1 unruly passenger
Why: While en route, a passenger insisted on paying cash for a headset, although Jet Blue only accepts credit cards.

The flight diverted to Salt Lake City where the passenger was taken off the plane. It is not reported if the passenger ever got his headset, nor if he was released into police custody.


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RAF Escorts Etihad with Unruly Passenger


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Contact photographer Marvin My

What: Etihad Airlines Airbus A340-600 en route from Abu Dhabi to Heathrow
Where: Stansted airport, north of London.
When: Jan 24, 2011
Who: 37-year-old British man
Why: After a passenger made threats, the flight was provided two Royal Air Force jets as escort. The flight diverted to Stansted airport where the plane made a safe landing,and the passenger was taken into custody. There were no injuries.

The unruly passenger did not threaten the safety of the aircraft.


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December: Fisticuffs Dislocation Syndrome

On December 10, a drunken, dubiously medicated passenger was argumentative with other passengers of an American Airlines Boeing, and when he assaulted one of the pilots, the plane returned to Sao Paulo where the passenger was summarily presented to Brazilian authorities.

On December 23, a disruptive woman en route to Miami ignored the crew and was taken into custody in Raleigh/Durham NC and her flight went on without her.

On December 27, a drunk German passenger threatened to shoot a flight attendant with his gun when she attempted to pacify him. After landing, he opened the exit door. Although the Norwegian police did not find a weapon, he was fined 3800 Euro and spent the night in jail in Sandefjord Norway.

On December 28, drunken French passengers on Gulf Air began fighting. The pilot landed and they were taken into custody in Kuwait City before the flight continued on to Paris.

I know advice is pointless. Either you already know it already, or if you disagree, you’re not going to change your mind just because I said so, but here comes a word of advice: Flying is not a contact sport. There are better locations to act out your aggressions than aboard a plane.


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Unruly Passenger Hauled off by Mounties and Fined $28,000 Canadian


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Contact photographer

What: Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400 en route from Orlando,FL (USA) to Manchester
Where: Gander
When: Oct 21 2010
Who: 451 passengers and 17 crew
Why: While underway, a drunken passenger got into a brawl with his wife and father in law. The pilot diverted to Gander where the disruptive passenger, UK citizen Roy Anthony Heaps, was escorted out of the airport by Mounties.

The court ordered Heaps to pay a fine of $15,000 for charges of assault, uttering threats, mischief and interfering with an air crew; and restitution to the airline along the lines of 13,000 Canadian Dollars.


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Fargo: Bomb Scare

What: Delta Airlines/Pinnacle Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Minneapolis, MN to Grand Forks, ND
Where: Fargo
When: Oct 17th 2010
Who: 19 passengers, 3 crew
Why: While en route, a crew member noticed a passenger tampering with the bathroom fire suppression system. The pilot diverted to Fargo where they made a safe landing. The media reported something “suspicious” and a “bomb scare.” No bomb was found.

Passengers were taken by bus from Fargo to Grand Forks.


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Delta: Disruptive Damsel Disgorged at Detroit


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Contact photographer Jason Whitebird

What: Delta Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Detroit to Tampa
Where: Detroit Metropolitan Airport
When: September 10, 2010
Who: 138 passengers and 5 crew, one disruptive passenger
Why: Half an hour into the flight, a passenger’s disruptive behavior caused the pilot to turn the plane around and return to Detroit. The passenger was removed from the plane but she was not arrested.

However curious we are, we don’t know exactly what she was doing.


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Asiana Airlines Diverts for Unruly


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Contact photographer Julian Lau

What: Asiana Airlines Boeing 777-200 en from Seattle to Seoul
Where: Pacific
When: Aug 9 2010
Who: conflict between passengers
Why: After a disagreement among passengers in which a U.S. serviceman became violent, the pilot diverted to Anchorage. The unruly serviceman was removed from the plane and taken into custody, delaying the flight for two hours.


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Smoke Break leads to Albuquerque


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Contact photographer Duy Tran Duc

What: American Airlines Boeing 767-200 from New York to Los Angeles
Where: Albuquerque
When: August 4, 2010
Who: 168 passengers and 11 crew (or 158 passengers and 11 crew)
Why: The story behind this one is two-fold. One source says the plane diverted to Albuquerque because of smoke in the cockpit. No smoke, no cause of smoke, no evidence thereof was found.

Another source says an unruly passenger was behind the diversion. This person was detained by the FBI on landing, after which the plane was inspected for explosives. During the search, passengers hung around the tarmac for three hours.

This man is being questioned about the odor like cigarettes that was discovered in the bathroom, along with some used matches. Another report says he lit matches in the cabin and then hid in the bathroom.

The plane left Albuquerque for LA around midnight.


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Terrorist or Mentally Ill?

What: Ariana Afghan Airlines Boeing 727-200 en route from Kabul to Kandahar to Mashad
Where: en route
When: May 9th 2010
Why: While en route, a passenger began kicking a cabin window and broke through one pane and attempted to open the emergency exit before he was subdued. He had tried to bring a knife aboard but was confiscated at the gate. After attacking the plane, security took him into custody and escorted him to the back of the plane.

The flight landed landed safely in Kandahar where the window-kicker was taken into custody.


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Denver: Diplomatic Smoking Shoe-Bomb Joker Mohammed al Modadi


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Contact photographer Joey Collura

What: United Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Washington to Denver
Where: 157 passengers and 6 crew
When: 7 pm
Who: 157 passengers and 6 crew members;
The individual who was detained is Mohammed al Modadi, a diplomat in the Qatar embassy in Washington, D.C.
Why: When an on board air marshal smelled smoke, he confronted the passenger in the first class bathroom. Mohammed al Modadi, who was apparently sneaking a smoke in the bathroom, declared diplomatic immunity and made a sarcastic declaration regarding Richard Reid.

Modadi was escorted to his seat and rode the rest of the flight flanked by two air marshals.

Two F-16 fighter jets escorted the flight the last 40 miles to Denver where Modadi was taken into custody.

No explosives were found.

George’s Point of View


People should be held accountable for their actions.

In this case, it requires looking closely at the actions. Some logical points are given:

1. Smoking is not allowed.
2. The air marshals were doing their job.
3. There is a time and place for everything. Standing in a plane’s bathroom after smoking a cigarette in a world where real people are really trying to blow up planes is not the place to make a shoe-bomb joke to a nervous air marshal. Even if one is a diplomat. Especially if one is a diplomat.
4. Diplomats are generally expected to smooth over or prevent international incidents, not cause them. (On the other hand, what exactly is Modadi’s job description, and exactly what is he supposed to do?)
5. This time the plane did not blow up.

Anything beyond this is speculation. I am sure the aviation lawyers and the aviation lawmakers will be hotly discussing this event, to see exactly how diplomatic status will affect policy, and playing the “what if” game. What if Modadi was just testing to see what would happen? What if there’s another diplomat biding his time for when we lower our guard, waiting to do this for real?

Whether a diplomat is a political officer to advocate for Qatar interests, a trade officer to advocate for Qatar interests, or a consular officer providing services for Qatar travelers, one can reasonably expect that Modadi’s agenda for today did not include deliberately getting caught sneaking a smoke in the United Airlines lavatory, nearly causing an international incident or providing puppet comedian Jeff Dunham grist for his “Achmed the dead terrorist” character for the next ten years. If Modadi has enough character and charm to jockey his ten minutes of fame into something more, we just may even see him as the new face of the nicotine patch or some other smoking cessation method or remedy.

On the other hand, we can not forget that there are people out there who wait for us to drop our guard so the next suicidal bomber can make his vicious mark.


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Round One: Mourning Grandma K.O. Flight Attendant (not)


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Contact photographer Andrew Brescini

What: Jetblue Airbus A320-200 en route from West Palm Beach to Boston
Where: en route
When: Mar 27 2010
Why: On the return flight coming home from her son’s funeral, 76 year old Renee Rappaport was returning to her seat after visiting the bathroom, and found the aisle was blocked by a beverage cart, and a flight attendant who told her to wait. She tried to squeeze by to get to her seat, and wouldn’t fit. The woman was arrested on arrival in Boston for shoving the flight attendant, and charged with assault.

Is rudeness an arrestable offense?

George’s Point of View


There is something wrong with this picture.

A 76 year old woman arrested for trying to get back to her seat.

It sounds like something out of Golden Girls, with Beatrice Arthur getting arrested for being her usual pushy self (although unlike our 76 year old airline passenger, Beatrice Arthur was in her 60’s when it was filmed, only 70 at the end of the series.)

Even though I don’t know all the facts, the bare bones of the situation are enough for me to feel that if I were the kind of person who started writing campaigns, I would start one now. I would inundate Jet Blue’s mail boxes with letters demanding more respectful treatment of the elderly.

Is this bizarre escalation some Jet Blue policy or a flight attendant’s strategy not to get written up?

There is something wrong with a 76 year old woman being arrested for assault while on a plane trying to get back to her seat. One wonders if the flight attendant could not have backed the cart up, or done something in a courteous fashion during or after the event. Even if the elderly woman were a female version of the governor of California, is she not entitled to some courtesy?

I have come across both belligerent flight attendants and hospitable flight attendants. I think I can safely speculate that a little graciousness on the part of the flight attendant would have prevented the situation from happening, certainly from escalating to arrest. At the very least, such an arrest is frivolous, and a waste of the police force’s valuable time.

Maybe it marks me as old fashioned, but I believe a flight attendant’s job is not an entitlement; but an elderly passenger is entitled to some degree of courtesy and understanding.

If Jet Blue’s policy is to arrest in this situation, they deserve all the bad press they get.

On the other hand, if Renee Rappaport is capable of a serious assault, I can get her some gloves and schedule a grudge match against the flight attendant in Las Vegas.


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UK: On Board Panic Attack Calls Out RAF


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Contact photographer Steve Brimley

What: American Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Dallas to London
Where: UK
When: Mar 2nd 2010
Who: 161 passengers and 12 crew
Why: While en route, a female passenger apparently became hysterical and attempted to gain access to the cockpit. She was “chilled” down by the crew, and provided a reception by UK police on arrival to Heathrow. She was arrested on suspicion of endangering an aircraft.

George’s Point of View

On receiving news of the unruly passenger attempting to gain access, the UK also provided two Royal Air Force fighter Typhoon jets from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire as escort, flying side by side with the American Airlines flight.

Although the jets returned to base when it was determined the incident was the woman’s emotional meltdown (reputedly due to an illness in her family), and not a “terror incident, it is a sign of the times that fighter jets are pulled into service and London Airspace is placed under a Restricted/security Alert when a pilot requests a priority approach (even though the situation is under control). Of course, if this were a terror incident, why would they continue to route to Heathrow? I find the course of action confusing.

Consider some points and see if there is some kind of balance to be found:

  • How responsible is the woman, if she were having a true panic attack, which is a true mental disorder?
  • What was the fuel bill for the two Air Force fighters (plus the wages of those engaged to contain our fearful flyer?)
  • What were the fighters going to do? Shoot down a passenger jet with 172 normal people and 1 mentally ill passenger aboard?
  • Did anyone consider the likelihood of two fighter jets actually calming a woman in a panic? If her panic attack is the kind related to a Mitral valve prolapse, she may well have died.
  • Who made the decision to deploy fighter jets in an instance when the ones most endangered are inside? What can the jet pilots actually do other than shoot down the commercial jet? Did they not believe the pilot that things were under control, and had to actually peek in the window to make sure?

Is this a little like using the lid of the superdome to contain a butterfly? And how reasonable is it to arrest someone for a panic attack? It seems that in response to her panic attack, everyone else must have had one too. Is it catching?


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Unruly Albanian or Just Misunderstood


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Contact photographer Normando Carvalho Jr.

What: US Airways Boeing 737-400 en route from Charlotte,NC to Houston,TX
Where: Charlotte
When: Feb 25 2010
Who: Not available
Why: After takeoff on this flight, an Albanian passenger got up and tried to exit the plane. It took 5 passengers and crew to subdue him. The pilots returned the plane to Charlotte where the disruptive Albanian-speaking passenger was taken into custody by police and removed to a hospital for observation.

Was he suicidal? Confused? Destructive? In despair? Incontinent? We may never know.


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Thomson Airways Passenger Unruly


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Contact photographer Bostjan Henigaman

What: Thomson Airways Boeing 737-800 en route from Cardiff to Las Palmas
Where: en route
When: Jan 25th 2010
Who: 186 passengers and 7 crew
Why: While en route, one of the passengers apparently suffered a panic attack, and attempted to enter the cabin, having to be restrained by crew and passengers.

The passenger was taken into custody on landing.

If this does turn out to be the case of a mental disorder (panic attack), one wonders what new steps will be taken to reduce incidents of this type. It seems as if unruly passengers are on the rise. Is it the reporting of the events that has changed or are passengers themselves changing, devolving into having less self-control? It seems like a trend-but what does it mean?

Or is there a simpler answer? Is it that earlier generations of fliers respected planes more?


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Intoxicated Passenger Attempts Exit at 20,000+ feet


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Contact photographer Manas Barooah

What: United Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Washington DC to Las Vegas
Where: Denver
When: Jan 23rd 2010
Who: 129 passengers and 5 crew
Why: Things were humming along normally on the flight when 24 miles from Denver, a passenger–who had taken medication and alcohol–was apparently disoriented and attempted to open the door. Other passengers subdued him; and the pilot made a stop in Denver to hand the passenger over to authorities (where the man will be going mental evaluation, and who knows what else, with attention from the FBI and police.)

(And hopefully AA or The Betty Ford Clinic.)


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Terror Halts Arkefly Flight


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Contact photographer Ruud Brinks

What: Arkefly Boeing 767 Amsterdam to Aruba
Where: Shannon Airport in Ireland
When: 1030 GMT
Who: 231 passengers (?) 11 crew
Why: While over the Atlantic, the pilot asked to divert to Shannon, when a passenger began making threats, and acting aggressively. The Arkefly Boeing made a safe emergency landing at Shannon Airport, and stranding passengers there.

The security alert was concerning a 44 year old Dutchman who was traveling alone went from being unruly to making bomb threats. After being taken off the plane, the man has been in official custody, held at Shannon Garda station and arrested under the Air Navigation and Transport Act. The plane was towed to a secure remote location for a police search.

A replacement flight was provided by Arkefly.


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2nd Delta/Northwest Nigerian Incident


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Contact photographer Daan Krans

What: Delta/Northwest Airlines Airbus A330-300 en route from Amsterdam to Detroit
Where: Detroit
When: Dec 27th 2009
Who: Individual aboard Delta flight
Why: On arrival to Detroit, a passenger locked himself in the bathroom and became verbally abusive. The flight crew notified law enforcement.

The passenger was a Nigerian citizen (originating in Lagos) via Amsterdam without checked luggage, similar to the Northwest incident on December 25.

George’s Point of View

One cannot help but wonder if this was

  • -A copy cat incident
  • -A co-conspirator
  • -A terrorist who tried to mix the chemicals inside his stomach this time instead of on his leg. (No wonder he locked himself in the bathroom)
  • -Some poor smuck with Montazuma’s revenge
  • -A random rude guy who picked the wrong day to cuss out authority
  • -Bad news for future passengers from Nigeria

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Attempted Terrorism on NW Detroit Flight


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Manas Barooah


What: Northwest Airlines Airbus A330-323X en route from Amsterdam to Detroit
Where: Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
When: Dec 25, 2009
Who: 278 passengers
Why: On approach to Detroit, Nigerian passenger Abdul Mudallad, an engineering student at the University College in London, attempted to set off firecrackers in an attempt to explode the plane. (Mudallad is the son of a Nigerian banker.) The passenger’s device failed to ignite the plane, although the device did make a little pop and emitted smoke. Hearing the pop, a passenger, Dutch video director Jasper Schuringa, jumped over other passengers and took care of it so the fire went out.

Later reports indicate that the passenger had a liquid and powder concealed under his pants, with the ultimate objective of having them detonate when he put them together. The detonation, however, sounded like “a firecracker exploding inside a pillowcase” as described by passengers. A woman seated near the Nigerian passenger had asked him what he was doing, causing an alert; and when the fire-cracker-like sound went off, several passengers became involved. By the time minutes had passed and stewards had brought a fire extinguisher, the passenger had already been subdued by other passengers.

His legs were burned from his efforts. He was removed to the front of the plane; and after the plane landed, was taken into custody.


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Unruly Holy Roller Forcibly Debarked in Nashville


Pictured: A Delta Boeing 757-232
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Erick Lopez

What: Delta Boeing 757 en route from Seattle to Atlanta
Where: Nashville
When: Oct 13 2009
Who: 178 passengers and a six-person crew
Why: The Delta plane diverted to Nashville when a passenger became unruly. According to WSMV TV, the passenger had to be subdued by other passengers after he began quoting Bible passages. The suspect would not allow the passenger beside him to go to the bathroom, and kept telling her that his blood would be on her and he was not going to let her leave no matter what happened.


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What Gets Naked on the Way to Vegas Gets Jailed in Oakland


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Contact Baires Aviation Photography

What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 en route from Oakland,CA to Vegas
Where: Oakland International Airport
When: Thursday August 20
Who: male passenger
Why: While en route to Vegas, a male passenger apparently accosted a female passenger. He exposed himself, and hit a female passenger, at which time flight attendants became involved. By the time the passenger was arrested, he was naked. The male passenger was taken by Oakland police; the female passenger was taken to an Oakland hospital.

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