Making his second appearance in a Miami court in two days this morning, an Ohio man accused of making a racist threat on a plane has his bond set at $210,000.
Mansour Mohammad Asad was arrested late Wednesday after he reportedly stood up on a Northwest Airlines flight headed to Detroit and announced, "I'm a Palestinian and want to kill all the Jews."
The plane returned to the gate, where officers boarded and pulled Asad, 43, and his three companions off the flight.
According to police, Asad put up a bit of a struggle, threatening officers, using racial references and chanting in a foreign language.
"I'm not afraid of you cops, I've gotten in fights with cops in Ohio and broke their arms in three places," Asad said, according to an arrest affidavit. "I've broken skulls too!"
Authorities said they were forced to tase Asad twice to get him into custody.
Asad, from Toledo, Ohio, was charged with threats against a public servant, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence.
Yesterday, family members told reporters that Asad had suffered from bipolar disorder and had been institutionalized when he was younger.
"He's far from a terrorist," said Mickey Asad, Mansour's son. "He just lost his temper. There's no excuse, but someone had to have pushed his button. This is such a strange turn."
Things turned stranger when Asad made his first court appearance yesterday, when he asked Judge Jorge Cueto for his release.
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"Sir, you are alleged to have been on a plane, saying that you want to kill Jews, that the police officers should go back to Africa," Cueto said. "In today's climate, you are not a risk?"
"No sir, I'm not," Asad responded.
"Well, you know, I disagree with you."
Later, Cueto asked about Asad's finances.
"How much money do you have in the bank sir?"
"Thousands of dollars, over 100,000 in the bank," Asad said.
"Why don't we hold the public defender for you since you are so wealthy," Cueto said.
If Asad hopes to get out anytime soon, he better hope he has deeper pockets than he estimated yesterday.
When or if Asad does come up with the money, he was ordered to stay on house arrest and stay away from buses and especially planes.
He's due back in court on Jan. 27.
