After a video of former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson beating a fellow passenger surfaced on the Internet, authorities on Thursday launched an investigation into the incident.
The clip shows Tyson leaning against the back of his seat, repeatedly bleeding the unidentified man’s head. The footage was first shared by TMZ, which said it was recorded on a Jet Blue plane bound for Florida.
Just before the incident, the passenger was seen standing on Tyson’s seat waving his hand while the boxer sat quietly.
Watch the video:
“Unfortunately, there was an incident involving Mr. Tyson with an aggressive passenger who started harassing him and threw a water bottle at him,” Tyson’s representatives said in an email to the Associated Press.
Police said the incident took place on a plane at the home terminal of San Francisco airport at around 10 p.m. Wednesday.
“Officers arrived and detained two subjects who were believed to have been involved in the incident. One subject was treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries. That subject provided a minimal description of the incident. and refused to cooperate further with the police investigation,” police said in a statement on Thursday.
Both were released pending further investigation, the statement said.
Since the 55-year-old Tyson retired from boxing, he has worked as an actor, podcaster and cannabis entrepreneur. SFGate reported that he was in San Francisco for the annual 420 cannabis festival at Golden Gate Park, where he was promoting his cannabis brand Tyson 2.0.
Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history in 1987 at the age of 20. During his career he won 50 victories, of which 44 by knockout. Tyson was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of rape in the 1990s. He has maintained his innocence in this case.