Mitt Romney Not Pressing Charges Against His Attacker

Mitt Romney Won't Press Charges



The passenger in seat 14A. Mitt Romney, the Republican politician, refused to press charges against the passenger who tried to assault him yesterday while he was on an Air Canada flight leaving Vancouver for Los Angeles.

The man, who the RCMP won’t name, was arrested, let go and later caught another flight.

“The male who was alleged assaulted did not wish for charges to go ahead,” said Corporal Jennifer Pound, of the Richmond RCMP.

Police escorted the man off the plane; his luggage was also removed. The 62-year-old former Massachusetts governor was not injured.

Mr. Romney and his wife, Ann, had been in Vancouver since last Friday attending the Winter Olympic Games.

As the former president and CEO of the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games, Mr. Romney was at the Games as a special guest. He attended the opening ceremony and took in some events over the weekend.

The couple had always planned to leave Monday. And they were booked on an 11 a.m. Air Canada flight to Los Angeles. They were sitting in the economy section, row 15, of the aircraft, when the incident happened.

The man sitting in front of Mr. Romney’s wife dropped his seat back and when Mr. Romney asked him to move it upright for takeoff, the man became “physically violent,” according to Mr. Romney’s spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom. Another report said the man tried to strike Mr. Romney.

“Gov. Romney did not retaliate,” Mr. Fehrnstrom said. Instead, he allowed the Air Canada crew to take over.

The pilot decided to turn the plane back to the gate so the man could be removed.

Mr. Romney ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. He also served as governor of Massachusetts. There is much speculation that he is preparing for another bid for the Republican nomination in 2012.

Sources: The Globe and Mail