Man Hits Teen On Plane Over iPhone Dispute Before Takeoff (PHOTO)

By: Kara Gilmour
Staff Writer
Published: Dec 29, 2021

Man hits teen on plane over iPhone dispute before takeoff. A man from Idaho got into a dispute over an iPhone on a plane and hits a teen. He has been charged misdemeanor battery.

Russell Miller, 68, has been charged with misdemeanor battery after police say he struck a teen who would not turn off his iPhone while the plane they were in was taxiing for takeoff.

The incident took place Tuesday evening on a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Boise, Idaho, said Lt. Kent Lipple of the Boise police.

Miller was arrested after the plane landed, Lipple said.

Miller told police that the 15-year-old boy refused to turn off his phone after directions from the flight crew. The suspect "felt he was protecting the entire plane and its occupants," Lipple said.

According to the police report, Miller said he smacked the boy with the back of his hand to get his attention. Officer, however, said the incident left a mark on the boy's shoulder.