A plane, enroute to San Pedro in Belize saw a dramatic turn of events after a US citizen pulled out a knife and hijacked the plane. The hijacker, identified as Akinyela Taylor, demanded that the flight which was originally domestic go international and take him out of the country.
Man hijacks plane with a knife
Police Commissioner Chester Williams gave insights into the bizarre incident reporting that halfway along the journey to San Pedro, the hijacker, US citizen Akinyela Sawa Taylor began attacking the passengers with his knife.
Taylor managed to attack 3 people, one of them being the pilot, before a passenger intervened and shot him with his licensed gun that he was carrying onboard. The passenger who is being termed as a “hero” also sustained some injuries in his attempt to disarm the hijacker.
Both the passenger and the assailant were rushed to the hospital after landing. The passenger, thankfully only sustained minor injuries while the hijacker passed away from the gunshot wound.
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Hijacker’s intention
Taylor persistently demanded that the domestic plane be flown out of the country. On being informed that the fuel for his intended trip is insufficient, he then made demands for the plane to land in order to add fuel. A US embassy spokesperson revealed further information about the occurrence stating that Taylor wanted the plane to be flown to the US.
Police Commissioner’s briefing
Police Commissioner, Chester Williams held a press conference in which he discussed the incident. He began by praising the passenger for his bravery in saving the plane from being hijacked. Speaking to the journalists, he said, “We are praying for him.” Williams also referred to him as the country’s “hero”.
Williams further revealed that Taylor was recently denied entry into the country. He expressed his shock at how he was able to reach Corozal to onboard the flight enroute to San Pedro.
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Police officials have requested the aid of the US embassy in Belize in helping them solve their queries regarding the incident. An embassy representative, Luke Martin told the reporters that no motive for Taylor’s actions have yet been found.
As of yet, only some information has been collected about the assailant. It is discovered that Taylor is a military veteran and was now working as a teacher in the US. McCluer North High School in Missouri had previously listed him as their football coach. However, after this incident an employee of the school told journalists that Taylor was not currently employed there.
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