A former NFL player and Boston College graduate was detained on an overnight flight from Boston Logan International Airport after allegedly urinating on another passenger.
The Delta flight, bound for Dublin, had to return to Boston due to reports of an unruly passenger, as stated by Massachusetts State Police.
The passenger involved was identified as 40-year-old Gosder Cherilus from Wakefield, Massachusetts. Upon landing, Cherilus was reportedly agitated and refused to comply with requests to disembark from the aircraft. He now faces charges of disorderly conduct and interfering with a flight crew.
Court documents reveal that Cherilus appeared to be intoxicated before the flight. He reportedly became disruptive and aggressive, claiming dissatisfaction with his seating arrangement. Approximately 40 minutes into the journey, he allegedly approached an elderly woman and urinated on her.
This “egregious behavior” unsettled fellow passengers, leaving them fearing for their safety, prompting the pilot to reroute the plane back to Boston.
Cherilus appeared in court on Monday morning to face these serious allegations. A representative from Delta Air Lines emphasized the airline’s strict “zero tolerance” policy towards unlawful conduct and indicated cooperation with law enforcement.
Cherilus, who played eight years in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being a first-round draft pick by the Detroit Lions in 2008, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in East Boston District Court and is set to return to court in October. It remains unclear if he has secured legal representation.
Following the hearing, Cherilus chose not to address the media but released a statement on social media. He explained that he took “sleeping medication that I don’t normally use, which resulted in behavior that is not representative of my character,” and expressed his apologies to the passengers and crew of the flight.