Mike Tyson plane punch victim has a criminal past

Turns out, this isn’t the first time the man punched by Mike Tyson on a flight has had to deal with law enforcement.

The most viral clip on social media this week is the footage of former undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson getting physical with a man who appeared to continuously bother him.

It’s a case where it appears the assailant is actually the victim. And now it turns out, according to TMZ, the man Tyson punched, Melvin Townsend has been in trouble with the law several times before.

Townsend’s previous charges include fraud, grand theft, burglary, possession of controlled substances, and trafficking in stolen property.

The 36-year-old Townsend reportedly broke onto a property in 2018 and stole a trailer that he hitched to his pickup. He was also charged with possession of oxycodone.

Townsend’s previous charges resulted in a 20-month jail sentence at one time and a 15-month sentence at another.

The man punched by Mike Tyson on a JetBlue plane has had several different charges against him previously

According to a witness who spoke with law enforcement, Tyson had taken a photograph with Townsend before sitting back in his seat on a JetBlue flight. Townsend, however, continued to try and talk with Tyson, which annoyed the boxing legend. When Tyson asked Townsend to stop, Townsend refused.

According to Tyson and his representatives, Townsend allegedly throwing a water bottle at him caused Tyson to snap. Video footage showed Tyson throwing several punches to Townsend’s head, busting him up.

Both men left the plane following the incident, with Townsend receiving medical attention for his injuries.

Tyson was en route to Miami, where he later attended a cannabis conference.

Wrestling legend Ric Flair posted a photo with him and Tyson that night.

JetBlue has not released a statement on the incident.