An Air Force Reserve lieutenant colonel, Jonathan J. Dunn, who was relieved of command for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, has been accused of threatening to shoot a commercial airline captain if they diverted their flight to provide medical attention to a passenger. The details of Dunn’s military service were revealed in a filing made by the Utah U.S. Attorney’s Office, which requested a delay in his arraignment to allow for his return from overseas. Dunn was indicted on October 18 and charged with interfering with a flight crew over the incident that occurred in August 2022.
According to the Transportation Department’s inspector general, Dunn had threatened to shoot the captain during a disagreement over whether to divert the flight due to a passenger’s medical issue. Following the incident, Dunn was sent to Ramstein Air Base in Germany for training at the 603rd Air Operations Center. The Air Force has suspended his access to sensitive information and the air operations center due to the incident.
Attempts to reach Dunn’s lawyer for comment were unsuccessful. Although Dunn previously flew for Delta Air Lines, it has not been disclosed on which airline or route the confrontation took place. Delta confirmed that Dunn no longer works for the airline, and his authority to carry a gun on board has been revoked.
Interestingly, Dunn is the same individual who filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against the Pentagon to prevent the Air Force from disciplining him for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. He cited religious objections and argued that he had already contracted the virus in 2021, providing him with natural immunity. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to block further punishment for Dunn while his case proceeded.
Dunn’s military background reveals that he served as an Air Force officer from 2003, flying combat missions over Afghanistan and accumulating more than 1,400 flight hours. He transitioned to the Air Force Reserve in 2014 and became the commander of a reserve squadron at March Air Reserve Base in California.
The indictment against Dunn for interfering with a flight crew was issued by a grand jury in Utah on October 18. As a first officer on the flight, Dunn was authorized to carry a gun under the Transportation Security Administration’s program. The inspector general’s office for the U.S. Department of Transportation stated that Dunn had threatened to shoot the captain multiple times if the flight diverted.
The reasons for the delayed indictment, which came more than a year after the incident, remain unclear. The potential consequences for Dunn include up to 20 years in prison. His arraignment is scheduled for November 16.
This incident involving Dunn occurred just days before an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot attempted to shut down the engines of a Horizon Air jet while in flight. The pilot, Joseph David Emerson, was subdued and arrested after the plane diverted to Portland, Oregon. Emerson claimed to have taken psychedelic mushrooms and was suffering from depression. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder.
