An American Airlines the passenger bombed a flight attendant it was so difficult that it drove him crazy and he is now suing a Manhattan street vendor whom he insists is responsible for causing his cruelty.
Brian Hsu, 23, was strapped to his business-class seat following the attack in October 2021, which forced AA flight 976 to divert to Denver from New York City to Santa Ana, California, prompting the Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg. facilitate access to the federal no-fly list. Bystander footage of a shockingly widespread phenomenonand American Airlines CEO Doug Parker described the incident – during which the flight attendant’s nose was crushed again – as “one of the worst incidents” seen to date on a commercial airline.
Hsu later pleaded guilty to federal assault and was banned from flying American again. His sentence comes less than 90 days after he completed a two-year probationary period for American Airlines.
When questioned by police, Hsu said he suffered a brain injury that left him with severe brain damage and persistent mental “fog” and that he was flying home after surgery to repair parts of his skull, according to the detective. a complaint was filed by him at that time. Hsu’s mother also brought up a brain injury as another reason for her son’s actions, telling investigators that since then he has “become more prone to anger,” the complaint states.
Brain damage, even minor, can cause all kinds of side effects, including, in some cases, significant behavioral changes.
Brian Hsu says his brain damage was caused by an attack in the Union Square section of New York City (Getty Images)
On Wednesday, the case took an unexpected turn when Hsu sued the man she accuses of hitting her head on the sidewalk 13 months ago, saying River Tarpley’s “shocking behavior” caused her “severe and permanent physical and emotional harm.” Hsu’s lawsuit, which asks for undisclosed damages, says the September 2020 beating “required … multiple skull and brain surgeries,” and that he will need continued treatment in the future. The circumstances of the attack and what led to it are unclear.
The suit traces Hsu’s brain injury to September 23, 2020, when he was walking in Union Square and was allegedly accosted by a CD salesman, later identified as Tarpley. After an interaction between the two, Tarpley “violently attacked … Hsu, striking him in the head and face, and striking him [him] on the [ground]causing him to pass out,” the lawsuit says.
At that point, according to the suit, Tarpley continued the “vicious and unrelenting” assault and “pulling.”[ging] [Hsu] over the asphalt road.”
Tarpley, according to the court, was convicted in May of “charges related to this incident,” without further evidence.
Tarpley could not be reached for comment Thursday. A spokeswoman for the Manhattan DA’s office said Tarpley was found not guilty of 1st- and 2nd-degree assault but convicted of 3rd-degree assault, a misdemeanor and sentenced to three years of probation.
His mother, Candece Tarpley, said her son “went through a lot of emotional pain during this time,” saying that Hsu began attacking her son during the argument and insisting that Hsu’s brain injury occurred when he fell on his head during the encounter.
Attorney Michael J. Lezamiz of Sutton & Smyth LLP, who sued Hsu, said in an email, “A New York City judge found River Tarpley guilty of assaulting my client, Mr. Hsu. The civil suit serves to provide my client with some form of relief after his life ended. completely changed by the brain damage caused by River Tarpley. We hope the jury will find him guilty.”
As for Hsu’s assault on the plane, he pleaded guilty in April 2022 to another charge of assault within the Special Aircraft Jurisdiction of the United States. The second part of the disruption by the flight crew was dropped as part of Hsu’s plea agreement. At sentencing, Hsu faces up to 20 years in prison. He received 24 months of probation and was ordered to pay $16,290 in restitution.
River Tarpley was arrested after an altercation with Brian Hsu, but not charged, according to her mother (Getty Images)
In a statement released before sentencing, Hsu, who was studying at The New School at the time of the air attack, cited letters from friends and family who insisted that “his behavior in this matter was out of character and the result was his brain damage.” As a result of the brain injury, Hsu currently suffers from depression, PTSD, and social anxiety disorder, according to the statement.
He felt “remorse” and “shame” about what he did on Flight 976, and is “deeply troubled because he has been convicted,” it says, referring to the alleged attack by Tarpley.
As for him, the flight attendant, who has never been officially identified, later paid $24,769 to pay for medical expenses from the assault, according to a prosecutor’s decision filed after Hsu’s request.
“The flight attendant who was affected by the flight also provided a statement in which he described persistent nasal pain that required medical attention,” the memo said. “He also reports fear and distress as a result of the attack and his injuries.”
Hsu’s probation ended in August.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect new information from the Manhattan DA about the final outcome of Tarpley’s case.