Cleveland ISD officer subdues woman trying to open airplane door
CLEVELAND, Tx. (FOX 26) - It had been a great week long vacation for Cleveland ISD police officer Pamela Minchew and her children. The flight from California had been uneventful.
"We were ready to be home. We were an hour away from landing. We were ready to be home." she said.
She says a female passenger on the flight had been acting strangely, pacing backward, writing notes to other passengers, etc.
But the flight crew had the situation in hand, then suddenly the disturbed woman tried to open the emergency door. Minchew sprung into action.
"I think I was more mom and mother hen to everyone on the flight," Minchew said. "But my kids were right there next to me so that door wasn't going to open."
Minchew quickly subdued the woman.
At the time, she had no idea that the woman had been acting oddly at the terminal before the flight.
She had been ranting about the government and how she had to walk backwards because of 'experiments' performed on her.
The plane was directed to Corpus Christi where authorities took the woman off the plane.
"She was getting off the plane and was actually telling people 'Bye' as she exited the plane."
Normally, that would've been that. But this is the social media age.
Cellphones came out, and Minchew had gone viral before her plane landed in Houston five hours later.
"I've heard from a lot of old friends I didn't know existed. I have countless Facebook requests right now. Right now, I'm not paying attention to anything." Minchew laughs.
Her boss is pleased with how she handled it and is handling her internet fame.
"To see something so positive is very encouraging." said Cleveland ISD Police Chief Rex Evans.
But for Minchew it's not about the praise or the fame. It's the fact that she was in the right place at the right time, and not just for her kids or fellow passengers, but for that woman.
"There's a reason for everything. Apparently she needed that in her life where she could get the help she needed." said Minchew.