Man Punched By Mike Tyson In Plane Demands KSh 68.9m To Settle Case, Boxer's Lawyer Reacts

• American boxer Mike Tyson assaulted a man, Melvin Townsend, aboard a plane with several blows in April 2022
• Tyson claimed that the man had been agitating him on the flight and, unable to control himself any longer, retaliated
• While Tyson and Townsend decided not to pursue the case in court, Tyson apologised for the violent altercation
• Now, the victim has filed compensation claims against the boxer, saying he is still suffering from the effects of the assault

American boxer Mike Tyson is facing a KSh 68.9 million ($450,000) compensation claim after beating up a passenger on a plane.

What happened on the plane?

According to a report by TMZ, Tyson and Melvin Townsend were in an altercation that quickly turned physical.

The boxer repeatedly punched Townsend in the face, to the horror of other passengers on the flight.

Tyson's reps claimed that the 2022 incident happened after Townsend threw a bottle at Tyson and repeatedly annoyed him.

Townsend's lawyer, on the other hand, claimed that no bottle was thrown, saying his client was just 'overly excited' to see Tyson.

Nonetheless, no charges were against the renowned boxer at the time because of "the conduct of the victim leading up to the incident, the interaction between Tyson and the victim, as well as the requests of both the victim and Tyson" as stated by the San Mateo County District Attorney.

Townsend demands compensation

However, Townsend has come out of the woodwork demanding a KSh 68,962,500 compensation for "injuries and damages".

Townsend's lawyer, Jake Jondle, claims that his client suffered several injuries from the attack, including a concussion, cervical radiculopathy, and impaired vision.

"Not only is the evidence clear that Mr. Tyson committed the intentional torts of assault and battery, but he also acted recklessly and negligently," Jondle said to TMZ.

Consequently, Jondle sent Tyson's lawyer, Alex Spiro, a pre-litigation letter with the compensation demands.

In the letter, the lawyer stated that Tyson could have diffused the situation between him and Townsend using other means but instead resorted to violence.

Jondle said that Townsend is still suffering from the effects of the assault to this day, adding that the KSh 68.9 million would help cover Townsend's legal bills and any future treatment he would need.

Mike Tyson's lawyer responds

Meanwhile, Tyson's lawyer, Spiro, brushed off the compensation demand, terming it 'a shakedown'.

He insisted that his client would make no payment whatsoever to Townsend.

"I have received a shakedown letter related to some instigator's harassment of Mike a year ago and the aftermath. There will be no shakedown payment," Spiro said.

Cardi B faces assault charges

In a similar story, American musician Cardi B had assault charges laid against her after a woman claimed the rapper hit her with a microphone.

It is unclear which woman pressed charges as it was revealed that her microphone not only hit the instigator but bounced to another fan who was standing nearby.

In a video posted by @deejremy, Cardi was performing when a patron threw a drink at her, and she retaliated by throwing her microphone at the drink-thrower.