Former NFL lineman allegedly urinated on elderly woman
Former NFL lineman Gosder Cherilus is facing multiple charges in federal court after he was accused of urinating on an elderly woman on an airplane.
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A former NFL player accused of urinating on another passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight from Boston to Dublin, Ireland, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, but apologized to the crew and fellow passengers on board the flight.
Gosder Cherilus, 40, of Wakefield, Massachusetts, was charged with disorderly conduct aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 154 from Boston to Dublin on Sunday. According to a criminal record seen by USA TODAY, Cherilus was intoxicated and drinking alcohol before the flight, which was delayed more than three and a half hours, according to data posted on FlightAware.
“Witnesses described Gosder’s behavior during the flight as disruptive, irritable, manic and aggressive,” court documents say.
What happened on the flight?
The former NFL player initially made a fuss about the seating arrangement, and about an hour into the flight, he stood up, walked to an elderly woman’s seat and began urinating on her, completely exposing his genitals, court documents say. He continued the act for twenty seconds, “emptying his entire bladder in the process.”
Crew members and witnesses attempted to stop Cherilus by grabbing his arms and ordering him to return to his seat. When he returned to his seat, he woke up an elderly man and argued with him about the seating arrangement before striking him with his right hand.
“Passengers and flight crew were eventually able to calm Gosder down and persuade him to return to his seat 3D, where he passed out,” court documents state.
Cherilus’ behavior left the entire flight crew in a state of shock and, according to court documents, caused fear for their safety, as he is 6’6″ tall and weighs about 280 pounds. As a result, the flight was diverted and had to return to Logan International Airport, where he was met by law enforcement officials.
Cherilus also refused to leave the plane
Massachusetts State Police said in a statement Monday that officers boarded the plane at around 2 a.m. Sunday and ordered the player to exit the plane, but “he became irate and did not cooperate.” According to court documents, Cherilus resisted arrest and refused verbal orders from authorities to exit the plane. He eventually had to be led off the plane in handcuffs. Because of his size and strength, four officers were needed to restrain him.
Cherilus appeared in court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to charges of disorderly conduct, interfering with flight crew and resisting arrest.
Cherilus apologizes
Cherilus, meanwhile, commented on the matter on social media, apologizing and attributing his behavior to a “sleeping pill” that he does not normally take.
“The flight was unexpectedly delayed by approximately four hours,” Cherilus wrote in a post on Instagram. “In preparation for the expected overnight flight, I took a sleeping medication that I do not normally take, which resulted in behavior that is out of character and I would like to apologize to the passengers and flight crew.”
According to data posted on FlightAware, Delta Flight 154 left Logan at 12:12 a.m. ET on Sunday, more than three and a half hours after its scheduled departure, before making a U-turn and landing in Boston at 2:33 a.m.
A lawyer for Cherilus could not immediately be reached for comment.
“Zero tolerance for illegal behavior,” says Delta
“Delta does not tolerate any illegal behavior and will cooperate with law enforcement to that end,” the spokesman said in a statement. “We apologize to our customers for the delay to their travel.”
Other passengers, meanwhile, were rebooked on another flight to Dublin on Sunday, a Delta spokesman told USA TODAY on Monday.
Who is Gosder Cherilus?
Cherilus was an offensive tackle at Boston College from 2005 to 2007. He was drafted into the NFL by the Detroit Lions in 2008. He played five seasons in Detroit, two with the Indianapolis Colts and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before retiring in 2016.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
