Melvin George Townsend has hired a lawyer to consider the possibility of suing Mike Tyson after being punched by the heavyweight boxing legend on the plane. Matt Morgan, Townsend’s attorney, denied allegations that his client threw the water bottle at Tyson.
In an interview with TMZ, Matt Morgan said: “When Tyson got on the plane, Townsend became too excited. At first, they talked intimately. But after a while, Tyson became agitated and began to attack. unduly attacking Townsend.” Lawyers for Morgan & Morgan confirmed that this assault would not have happened if Tyson had contacted the flight attendant. “My client denies throwing the water bottle before being assaulted by Tyson. He is a huge fan of Tyson,” Matt Morgan emphasized.
The incident took place on April 20, right before the flight was scheduled to leave San Francisco International Airport for Florida at 10:30 p.m. (Washington time). Townsend, in a drunken state, continuously bothered Tyson and asked to take souvenir photos even though Tyson asked him to be quiet. Unable to keep calm, Tyson stood up and punched Townsend repeatedly in the face.
Police arrived to investigate the incident and spoke to two men, whose identities were not revealed, but both were later released. “The subject provided minimal information about the incident and refused to cooperate further,” a police officer informed.
Townsend’s face was bruised and bleeding after receiving Tyson’s blow. Initially, Townsend refused to sue. However, by hiring a lawyer from the famous firm Morgan & Morgan, Townsend is considering the possibility of conducting legal proceedings with Tyson. “As one of the greatest boxers in history, Tyson should have been more restrained before assaulting an aggressive fan,” lawyer Morgan emphasized.
The incident on the plane did not seem to affect Tyson, as he still appeared at an event in Miami the next day, laughing and taking photos with fans. Tyson’s representative revealed that Townsend threw a water bottle at Tyson when he was refused a photo opportunity. Many people spoke up to defend Tyson, including rapper ICE T. He wrote on Twitter: “Tyson punched the person who repeatedly provoked him. The current problem is that there are many people who think they won’t be punched in the face if do like that.”
Townsend, from Punta Gorda, Florida, has been involved in legal trouble many times. He served 20 and 15 months in prison for various crimes, including possession of Oxycodone, theft, fraud and trafficking in stolen property. According to TMZ, Townsend stole a tractor-trailer in 2018 and was arrested. He was last released from a Florida prison in July 2020 after serving 15 months of a 25-month sentence for theft and using a fake ID card.
This incident has sparked a lot of controversy and could lead to complicated legal procedures. Whether Mike Tyson can overcome this trouble or not, time will tell.
