DA declines to file charges against Mike Tyson following airplane incident.
Former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson won't be charged in plane incident
Good news, Authorities will not file criminal charges against former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson.
San Mateo County's District Attorney announced on Monday (May 9) that no charges will not be pursued against Mike Tyson. Per the Associated Press, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office announced on Tuesday that it’s closing the case due to “the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.”
District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe wrote in a statement that those circumstances “include the conduct of the victim leading up to the incident, the interaction between Mr. Tyson and the victim, as well as the requests of both the victim and Mr. Tyson that no charges be filed in this case.”
Tyson’s attorneys shared their appreciation for the decision, stating, “We thank San Mateo District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe, the San Mateo County Sheriff, and all law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation for their careful, diligent, and professional work.”
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Last month, Mike Tyson got into an altercation with while on a JetBlue flight has been identified by TMZ as Melvin Townsend, III. According to the publication, the 36-year-old has had several run-ins with the law in the past, including being convicted of grand theft, fraud, burglary, possession of controlled substances, and trafficking in stolen property. He has also been incarcerated on two separate occasions, once for 20 months and once for 15 months.
TMZ Sports first reported the incident, which was on a JetBlue flight leaving from San Fransisco International Airport. Tyson was attending a cannabis festival at Golden Gate Park before the incident.
In the video, the unidentified man was reported to be "extremely intoxicated" and tried taking a selfie with Tyson. He then continued to talk to Tyson, with the idea that he was “provoking” him enough for Tyson to lean over the seat and land vicious shots to his face.
Morgan, an attorney representing Melvin Townsend III, told TMZ that the 36-year-old is a fan of Tyson and denied that he ever threw a water bottle at the 55-year-old boxer.