A flight was delayed out the Los Angeles International Airport on Friday evening after a passenger opened a plane door and jumped out while the aircraft was taxiing before takeoff, according to reports. The incident was reportedly being investigated as a hijacking attempt, though no more details on that allegation were immediately available.
It also happened on the same day Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly landed at the same airport en route to her home in L.A.’s Brentwood neighborhood after her visit to El Paso, Texas, earlier in the day. The Texas trip was Harris’ first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border region since becoming vice president.
The suspect was taken to a hospital for his injuries after allegedly using the plane’s automatically inflated emergency slide to leave the aircraft once he opened the door, according to FOX 11 of Los Angeles.
The suspect allegedly tried to open the cockpit door multiple times but eventually opened an exit door, FOX 11 reported. The Salt Lake City-bound SkyWest flight finally departed at 10:36 p.m. PT after originally being scheduled to leave at 6:55 p.m.
On Thursday night, another suspect allegedly breached a gate at a FedEx air cargo facility at the same airport and drove onto the airfield. At least two runways were temporarily shut down as the driver was taken into custody.
