Jonathan Cahn says he is praying for the man accused of attacking him aboard the now-viral American Airlines Flight 618.
“I have nothing against him,” Cahn says. “I pray for him. I pray for the—for his best. I pray he gets saved.”
That prayer comes after Cahn revealed a stunning new detail about the Sept. 3 incident: He was the previously unidentified passenger sitting directly beside the man who was eventually restrained with duct tape and zip ties.
As Charisma previously reported, the Dallas-Fort Worth-to-Newark flight was diverted to Baltimore after passenger Arthur Lundeen, 67, allegedly became disruptive and violent. Lundeen was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree assault following the incident. He is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 19.
Cahn says he sat beside Lundeen for hours before the encounter spiraled into chaos. At one point, Cahn says Lundeen reached across and put his hands around his neck in what initially appeared to be a joking imitation of a chokehold.
Later came a chilling antisemitic threat.
“I will punch your [expletive] Jewish face in,” Cahn recalls Lundeen telling him.
Then, according to Cahn, the confrontation became physical.
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“Then, he starts hitting me,” Cahn says.
Cahn says Lundeen struck him in the chest and moved toward his face as though attempting to provoke a fight. Rather than retaliate, Cahn says he restrained himself and attempted to alert flight attendants that he needed help.
But the confrontation wasn’t over.
When Cahn tried to leave his seat with his laptop, he said Lundeen suddenly lunged at him and violently grabbed the computer.
“He grabs the laptop violently trying to wrest it out of my hand,” Cahn says.
The two struggled over the computer in the aisle as passengers watched, and the situation aboard Flight 618 continued to escalate. Cahn eventually wrested the laptop away.
The alleged attack also aggravated an existing injury.
About a month earlier, Cahn says he had injured his left arm and shoulder while playing racquetball with his sons. After weeks of recovery, the morning of Flight 618 was the first time the injury had substantially improved. During the confrontation, however, Cahn says Lundeen grabbed and forcefully pulled that same arm, reinjuring his shoulder and leaving it feeling as though it had been dislocated again.
Other passengers soon intervened. Cahn says several men moved in to help as Lundeen became violent. Flight attendants provided duct tape, which was used to restrain him to his seat while the aircraft descended toward Baltimore.
Yet perhaps one of the most striking details of Cahn’s account is his response after the ordeal. The bestselling author isn’t asking his followers to condemn the man he says attacked him. He’s asking God for a very different ending to the story: Lundeen’s salvation.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
