Former Delta co-pilot indicted for threatening to shoot captain during commercial flight, officials say
A former Delta co-pilot was federally indicted earlier this month, accused of threatening to shoot the captain of a commercial flight last year if he diverted the plane because a passenger on board may have been suffering a medical emergency, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
According to court documents obtained by CBS News, on Oct. 18 a Utah grand jury indicted Jonathan Dunn on one count of interference with a flight crew.
The alleged incident occurred on an Aug. 22, 2022, flight, the Department of Transportation's inspector general's office said in a news release Tuesday, but did not specify the airline where the flight originated from, or its destination. However, a Delta Air Lines spokesperson confirmed to CBS News that Dunn was working for Delta as a Delta first officer at the time of the incident.
According to the inspector general, Dunn, the co-pilot, had "a disagreement" with the captain, who wanted to potentially divert the flight "due to a passenger medical event."
Dunn then allegedly "told the captain they would be shot multiple times" if the flight was diverted, the inspector general said.
Officials did not provide any further details on how the situation played out.
Dunn was authorized to carry a gun as part of the Transportation Safety Administration's Federal Flight Deck Officer program, the inspector general said. Federal flight deck officers are airline pilots authorized by the TSA to be armed in the cockpit on domestic flights. They undergo special training to do so and are provided with a TSA-issued weapon to defend the flight deck against an attempted hijacking.
The two-page indictment, obtained by CBS News Tuesday, alleges that Dunn "did assault and intimidate a crew member of an aircraft…and did use a dangerous weapon in assaulting and intimidating the crew member."
On Wednesday, multiple sources confirmed to CBS News that Dunn was also the plaintiff in an unsuccessful U.S. Supreme Court case last year in which — as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force — Dunn attempted to block the Air Force from disciplining him for refusing to take the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds. In April 2022, the high court ruled against Dunn's request for a religious exemption by a 6-3 margin.
According to court documents, Dunn was commissioned in the Air Force in 2003, and flew two combat tours in Afghanistan. He left active duty in 2014 and joined the Air Force Reserve.
In August 2021 he was given command of the 452nd Contingency Response Squadron, court documents read. However, after refusing to get vaccinated, he was relieved of duty in February 2022.
In a statement Tuesday evening, a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration told CBS News, "TSA is aware of an incident involving a Federal Flight Deck Officer."
The agency says Dunn has been removed from the FFDO program, but could not comment further due to the "pending investigation."
Delta told CBS News in a statement Tuesday evening that Dunn was no longer employed by the airline and refrained from commenting further pending the investigation.
CBS News has learned that Dunn's last known address was in Marysville, California, which is about 40 miles north of Sacramento.
His medical certificate, which the Federal Aviation Administration requires for active pilots, has been suspended by the FAA, CBS News also learned.
The Air Line Pilots Association, the union that represents Delta pilots, told CBS News in a statement Wednesday that the "security of our crews and passengers is our highest priority," and said the suspect's alleged "action is wholly inconsistent with that mission," also calling it "at odds with our union's professional code of conduct and a violation of the trust instilled in us by those we serve."
The union added that it is "fully cooperating" with the investigation.
Felicia Martinez, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Utah, also told CBS News in a statement that "at this stage in the case, we don't have a lot of information to share without jeopardizing the integrity of the case."
Dunn is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 16.
The inspector general's office said it is getting assistance from the FBI and the FAA in its investigation.
The FAA and FBI declined to comment.
It is not immediately clear if Dunn has a lawyer representing him ahead of his scheduled arraignment.
On Oct. 22, authorities allege that an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot tried to shut off a plane's engines during a commercial flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, California. The suspect, Joseph Emerson, has been charged with 83 counts of attempted murder.
— Robert Legare and Katie Krupnik contributed to this report.
