Mike Tyson: Former world heavyweight champion will not face criminal charges over altercation on aeroplane | Boxing News

Mike Tyson will not face criminal charges after the former heavyweight champion was recorded on video punching a fellow passenger on a plane at San Francisco International Airport last month, prosecutors announced on Tuesday.

The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office said it has closed the case. The victim and Tyson both requested that charges not be filed, District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said in a statement.

The video shows Tyson leaning over the back of his seat repeatedly striking the unidentified man in the head, drawing blood. The footage was first shared by TMZ, which said it was recorded on a Jet Blue plane bound for Florida.

The video also shows the same man standing up behind Tyson’s seat and appearing to try to get the 55-year-old’s attention, while the ex-fighter sits quietly but occasionally turns around.

Representatives for Tyson previously said the boxer was on a flight with “an aggressive passenger who began harassing him and threw a water bottle at him while he was in his seat”.

Attorneys for Tyson praised the district attorney’s decision in a statement on Tuesday, thanking law enforcement for their “careful, diligent and professional work”.