DENVER – Actor and comic Marlon Wayans says he is being unfairly prosecuted for stressful the peace over a dispute with an airline worker who he alleges targeted him as a result of his race.
Attorneys for Wayans, who is Black, made the allegations in a court docket submitting Thursday that requested for dismissal of the case stemming from a luggage dispute at Denver’s airport.
Wayans was once cited for stressful the peace, a municipal violation, in June, police stated. According to the court docket submitting, a United Airlines gate agent instructed him he may just now not get on a flight to Kansas City with 3 luggage. The gate agent it appears attempted to bodily block Wayans from getting at the flight after he consolidated his baggage into two luggage to evolve with airline coverage, the submitting stated. He boarded anyway and was once later requested to get off the airplane sooner than it departed.
While Wayans labored to arrange his baggage, the gate agent stored permitting white passengers with 3 luggage to board the flight, consistent with the court docket submitting, which incorporated nonetheless pictures of surveillance video of white passengers with yellow arrows pointing to every in their luggage. About 140 folks boarded the flight, it stated, many with 3 luggage and outsized luggage which violated the airline’s coverage.
Wayans’ legal professionals say the gate agent racially discriminated towards him and that Denver prosecutors, by proceeding to pursue fees towards him, are perpetuating that discrimination and denying his proper to equivalent coverage underneath the legislation.
“The City of Denver’s position is an affront to constitutional and social equity principles,” Wayans’ legal professionals stated.
City Attorney Kerry Tipper stated her place of business does now not touch upon pending circumstances. United didn’t straight away reply to an e-mail in search of remark.
In a observation issued by United in June to questions on what took place to Wayans, the airline stated an unnamed buyer “pushed past” an worker on the jet bridge and tried to board the airplane.
According to statements recorded on police frame digicam and cited within the submitting, the gate agent instructed officials that Wayans “shoved” “pushed” or “elbowed” him because the comic boarded the airplane, which Wayans’ legal professionals say is a lie. They say Wayans can have brushed shoulders with the agent as he boarded.
The law enforcement officials who investigated had been unsure that any crime were dedicated, consistent with the submitting, however the gate agent requested that fees be pursued.