A South African employee of a cruise ship was apprehended on Tuesday in Juneau, Alaska’s capital, following allegations of assaulting a woman and two security personnel with a pair of scissors aboard the vessel, as per law enforcement authorities. The man, aged 35, is facing charges of assault with a dangerous weapon within maritime and territorial jurisdiction, as stated by the U.S. attorney’s office. The man’s legal representation is yet to be disclosed in online court records.
The accused had recently been employed by a cruise line and had joined the Norwegian Encore in Seattle on Sunday, as per an affidavit from FBI special agent Matthew Judy. The ship embarked on a weeklong journey on the same day, with planned stops at various Alaskan ports, including Juneau, and British Columbia.
The incident reportedly took place west of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, while the ship was en route to Alaska. The affidavit details that ship staff observed the man attempting to launch a lifeboat late Sunday evening. Consequently, he was escorted by security to the ship’s medical center for an assessment.
While at the medical center, the man allegedly became erratic, tried to leave, and physically assaulted a guard and a nurse, as per the affidavit. He then reportedly dashed into another room, seized a pair of scissors, and stabbed a woman who was undergoing a medical examination, as well as two guards who attempted to intervene. He was eventually subdued and detained in the ship’s jail. None of the injuries sustained in the incident were deemed life-threatening.
The ship docked in Juneau on Tuesday, where the man was taken into custody by the FBI, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.