Black cop sues American Airlines for ‘accusing him of trafficking white wife on honeymoon flight’
A black newlywed filed a lawsuit against American Airlines after he was accused of trafficking his wife just moments after the two took an adorable selfie on the flight while heading to their honeymoon destination.
Anthony Williams, 63, claims he was racially profiled as he traveled from his home in Arizona to Florida with his new bride, Russian national Katsiaryna Shasholka, 34.
The duo smiled happily for a photo after boarding the American Airlines flight and were shocked when they arrive in Florida – only to be detained.
According to the lawsuit, a fellow passenger suspected Shasholka was being trafficked and reported his concerns to crew members, who alerted law enforcement in Florida – without bothering to question the couple.
Williams claims in the suit they were ‘falsely imprisoned by American Airlines employees whom escorted them off the plane.’
He said ‘they were made to wait confused and embarrassed as the other passengers deplaned and walked by them.’
Later, they were questioned by police officers ‘who worked for the Miami-Dade Police Department, and were detained, falsely imprisoned, questioned, and humiliated.’
The couple are seeking damages in excess of $75,000 for racial discrimination.
The duo smiled happily for a photo after boarding the American Airlines flight and were shocked when they were detained upon arriving in Florida
Williams claims in the suit they were ‘falsely imprisoned by American Airlines employees whom escorted them off the plane’
‘There was nothing in our interactions the entire flight that would be indicative of somebody who was being held against their will,’ Williams told The Independent.
‘We were just two people having a good time.’
The civil suit was filed by attorney Jasmine Rand, who also represented the families of George Floyd and Trayvon Martin.
Floyd was killed by a white police officer during an arrest, while Martin was an unarmed black teenager shot dead by his neighborhood watch.
‘My client is a retired police officer,’ Rand told the publication.
‘He spent his life fighting crime, and now to be accused of a crime so heinous as trafficking his own wife is unfathomable. He is committed to fighting for justice for himself and for others that have suffered racial discrimination at the hands of American Airlines.’
In the suit, Williams described a pattern of racial profiling within American Airlines.
In September 2023, John Mayer’s former guitarist David Ryan Harris was accused of trafficking his own children and a similar situation unfolded in which he and his family were detained when they landed in Los Angeles.
And in January 2024, three black men who were strangers to one another and not sitting together were removed from a flight after another passenger complained about ‘offensive body odor.’ The men filed a lawsuit and settled confidentially.
