Passengers subdue man who threatens to blow up plane

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to Tampa was diverted to Albuquerque Friday after a passenger sprayed the first-class cabin with a water bottle, tried to open a cabin door and threatened to blow up the plane.

Tampa Bay Rays broadcaster and former major league manager Kevin Kennedy was among a group of eight men that subdued the man, Stanley Dwayne Sheffield, 46.

"When he started threatening bombs it was for real. I knew it was anyway," Kennedy said Friday night. "We all kind of looked at him. The guy next to me, he was saying 'Hey buddy, let's calm down here.' We tried to talk him down but it wasn't happening. It was actually getting worse."

Sheffield was taken into federal custody after the plane landed at 1:30 a.m. Friday.

"There were seven other guys," Kennedy said. "A couple of young guys got there first. One kid flew up the aisle. . . . Probably four or five [guys] getting him down and the other guys helping. Eight in all."

FBI supervisory special agent Darrin Jones said authorities do not believe the incident was related to terrorism. Sheffield was charged with interference with flight crew members and destruction of an aircraft.

According to the complaint, the incident on Flight 2148 began 90 minutes after takeoff when a flight attendant noticed Sheffield, in first class, was awake and asked if he could bring anything. - AP