A former high school football coach from St. Louis, Akinyela Taylor, is accused of hijacking a small plane in Belize that was carrying 14 passengers and two crew members. The incident occurred on Thursday morning as the plane was flying from Corozal to San Pedro.
Taylor, who worked as an assistant football coach at McCluer North High School seven years ago, allegedly demanded to be flown out of the country and insisted on landing to add fuel. He also reportedly wanted to be taken to the US.
The plane circled in random directions for nearly two hours before touching down at an airport in Ladyville. During the ordeal, police tracked the aircraft using a helicopter before it made an emergency landing.
Two passengers and the pilot were injured in the incident. A passenger who was stabbed by Taylor managed to shoot back and is now in critical condition. The pilot’s injuries are not as severe.
Belize authorities declared a full emergency after the incident started, with officials praising the pilot for his “extraordinary courage and calm” during the crisis. US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce described the situation as “horrifying,” but added that the outcome was better than expected.
The FBI has launched an investigation into Taylor’s actions, but it is unclear what motivated him to hijack the plane.
Source: https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_a9f443c7-9e80-471c-84b7-bdad010485fb.html