Man punched by Mike Tyson on flight demands $450K settlement
A man who was involved in an altercation with Mike Tyson on a flight last year is seeking a six-figure settlement from the boxing legend.
A lawyer for Melvin Townsend, whom Tyson punched while on board a JetBlue flight in April 2022, sent a "pre-litigation settlement demand" of $450,000 to Tyson's attorneys for "injuries and damages" he suffered as a result of the incident, according to Josh Kosman and Olivia Land of the New York Post.
"As a former undisputed heavyweight champion, the potential to cause severe injuries to another person goes without question," Townsend's attorney, Jake Jondle, wrote in the legal letter. "There were several other remedies available to Mr. Tyson, but he chose physical violence."
The letter states that Townsend "had a severe headache and neck pain" after the incident and "is still suffering with the effects of the assault to this day." Jondle said the settlement would cover Townsend's medication, therapy, and other ongoing medical care for head and neck pain, depression, and PTSD.
Tyson was filmed repeatedly punching Townsend during a flight from San Francisco to Florida. Tyson's representatives claimed that Townsend was harassing the former heavyweight champion and threw a water bottle at him.
Tyson's attorney, Alex Spiro, said they have no intention of paying Townsend, calling it a "shakedown."