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Actor and comic Marlon Wayans says he’s being unfairly prosecuted for disturbing the peace over a dispute with an airline worker who he alleges focused him due to his race.
Attorneys for Wayans, who’s Black, made the allegations in a courtroom submitting Thursday that requested for dismissal of the case stemming from a luggage dispute at Denver’s airport.
Wayans was cited for disturbing the peace, a municipal violation, in June, police mentioned. In line with the courtroom submitting, a United Airlines gate agent informed him he couldn’t get on a flight to Kansas Metropolis with three luggage. The gate agent apparently tried to bodily block Wayans from getting on the flight after he consolidated his baggage into two luggage to evolve with airline coverage, the submitting mentioned. He boarded anyway and was later requested to get off the aircraft earlier than it departed.
Whereas Wayans labored to rearrange his baggage, the gate agent stored permitting white passengers with three luggage to board the flight, in line with the courtroom submitting, which included nonetheless images of surveillance video of white passengers with yellow arrows pointing to every of their luggage. About 140 individuals boarded the flight, it mentioned, many with three luggage and outsized luggage which violated the airline’s coverage.
Wayans’ legal professionals say the gate agent racially discriminated in opposition to him and that Denver prosecutors, by persevering with to pursue costs in opposition to him, are perpetuating that discrimination and denying his proper to equal safety below the legislation.
“The Metropolis of Denver’s place is an affront to constitutional and social fairness rules,” Wayans’ legal professionals mentioned.
A phone message and an electronic mail to the town legal professional’s workplace weren’t instantly returned. United didn’t instantly reply to an electronic mail searching for remark.
In an announcement issued by United in June to questions on what occurred to Wayans, the airline mentioned an unnamed buyer “pushed previous” an worker on the jet bridge and tried to board the aircraft.
In line with statements recorded on police physique digicam and cited within the submitting, the gate agent informed officers that Wayans “shoved” “pushed” or “elbowed” him because the comic boarded the aircraft, which Wayans’ legal professionals say is a lie. They are saying Wayans might have brushed shoulders with the agent as he boarded.
The cops who investigated have been uncertain that any crime had been dedicated, in line with the submitting, however the gate agent requested that costs be pursued.
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