Marlon Wayans Says He is Being Unfairly Prosecuted After Airline Employee Racially Targeted Him

Marlon Wayans says he should have never been hit with a citation for disturbing the peace at an airport earlier this year.

via: Rolling Stones

This past June, a United Airlines gate agent allegedly stopped the actor from boarding a plane to Kansas City because he had three bags, and told him that two bags were the maximum he could bring on the plane. In a Thursday court filing by Wayans’ lawyers, the agent physically blocked the actor from boarding the plane even after he repacked everything into two bags. He decided to board anyway and was asked to get off the plane before it departed.

When Wayans was rearranging his luggage, the gate agent allegedly allowed several white passengers on with three bags. The AP reports that the court filing includes photos of passengers with arrows pointing at their luggage. Many of the 140 passengers on the flight had three bags, Wayans’ lawyers argued, yet he was charged with a municipal violation.

Prosecutors should drop the charges, the legal filing says, because they perpetuate the racism he endured and violate his legal right to equal protection. “The City of Denver’s position is an affront to constitutional and social equity principles,” Wayans’ attorneys argued.

The AP reports that Denver’s City Attorney Kerry Tipper would not comment on pending litigation and that United did not return requests for comment.

United previously described the incident by saying that a customer had “pushed past” the agent, attempting to board the aircraft. The agent told police that Wayans “shoved,” “pushed,” or “elbowed” him, according to the AP. According to the actor’s lawyer, Wayans merely bumped shoulders with the agent.

“I get to the airline, and I have my knapsack and I have my two bags and I think the guy was upset because my ticket was wrinkled,” Wayans told TMZ in June. “And so he unwrinkled my ticket and scanned it and he had an attitude then.” The comedian explained that he had so many carry-ons because he had to go straight to a gig, but the agent insisted Wayans check his bag, which is when he felt he was being mistreated.

“[United] reached out and it was a sorry-ass reach out,” Wayans said. “It adds insult to injury because they tried to tell me about their policies, and I’m like, ‘I need you to watch the entire tape’… The man was messing with me… He lied and said I assaulted him, which I didn’t. Go and watch the tape.”

Police reportedly were incredulous a crime had taken place, the filing says, according to the AP, but the agent wanted to press charges anyway.

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