Mike Tyson has been trending on social media all this week after footage came out showing him punching a guy on a plane several times. Since the initial altercation, new information has surfaced about the man he repeatedly punched.
Tyson was on a JetBlue flight that was scheduled to fly from San Francisco to Miami and footage from inside shows a man bothering him to the point that the former heavyweight champion got fed up and attacked him. According to Tyson’s representatives, the other passenger was extremely intoxicated and harassing Tyson. He also allegedly threw a water bottle at Tyson.
On Friday, TMZ identified the man Tyson punched as Melvin Townsend III and he has a lengthy criminal history that includes convictions of fraud, grand theft, burglary, possession of controlled substances, and trafficking in stolen property.
Back in 2018, the 36-year-old stole a trailer and he also had a drug possession charge for Oxycodone. Townsend has served jail time on two separate occasions — once for 20 months and another time for 15 months.
Tyson walked off the plane minutes after the incident. The man received medical attention and then went to the police, but it is unclear if charges will be filed.
