Melvin Townsend, who made headlines last year after Mike Tyson was caught punching him on a plane, wants the retired boxer to pay him $450,000 to cover his legal fees and future care for the injuries he allegedly sustained in the attack, according to TMZ.
As previously reported by How Africa, the April 2022 event occurred on a JetBlue airplane due to depart from San Francisco International Airport for Florida. Jake Jondle, Townsend’s lawyer, told the news site that his client has since suffered from symptoms such as concussion, cervical radiculopathy, and impaired vision.
“Not only is the evidence clear that Mr. Tyson committed the intentional torts of assault and battery, but he also acted recklessly and negligently,” Jondle said in a statement. “Additionally, Mr. Tyson admitted on national television to attacking Mr. Townsend and never once claimed a legal justification for his actions, such as self-defense. He admitted he should not have attacked Mr. Townsend. Being irritated by a fan is not a legal defense to any of Mr. Townsend’s claims.”
Last Monday, Tyson’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, received the pre-litigation letter. Jondle stated that they are interested in trying to “engage in good-faith settlement discussions to attempt to resolve this claim prior to filing a lawsuit.”
In the statement, Jondle also stated that Tyson could have chosen other options to de-escalate the situation, but instead “chose physical violence” and “viciously assaulted” his client.
According to a witness, Townsend was seated behind the former boxer on the plane. And, while Tyson was initially nice with him, he lost his cool when Townsend continued to approach him. According to TMZ, Tyson told him to calm down.
According to sources close to the boxer, Townsend was highly inebriated and repeatedly harassing Tyson prior to the attack. However, Jondle said that his client was “excited to see [Tyson] on the flight, began discussing the marijuana industry and psychedelic mushrooms with him, and Mr. Tyson became annoyed” and “punched him.”
Townsend, according to Jondle, suffered from a “severe headache” and neck pain, and “is still suffering with the effects of the assault to this day.”
But Spiro said no money will be paid to Townsend. “I have received a shakedown letter related to some instigator’s harassment of Mike a year ago and the aftermath,” said Spiro in a statement. “There will be no shakedown payment.”