PLT RPT; FOKKER-100; EWR-ORD. UNRULY; VIOLENT MAN; TRAVELING WITH SISTER; WAS DRINKING; TAKING VALIUM; THREATENING OTHERS. POLICE MET FLT; PAX TAKEN TO MENTAL HOSPITAL.

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WE HAD A CASE OF PAX MISCONDUCT THAT REQUIRED PRIORITY HANDLING FROM ORD TRACON AND SUPPORT FROM ZAU ENRTE TO CHICAGO. SOMEWHERE JUST W OF DETROIT; FLT ATTENDANT #2 CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED US SHE WAS DEALING WITH A VERY SURLY AND UNRULY MALE PAX WHO WAS SEATED IN XD. THIS PAX WAS BEHAVING ABUSIVELY TOWARDS HIS FEMALE COMPANION AND THE PAX SEATED AROUND HIM. FLT ATTENDANT #2 FURTHER STATED THAT SHE BELIEVED THE PAX HAD BEEN DRINKING; ALTHOUGH HE HAD NOT BEEN PROVIDED ANY ALCOHOL BY EITHER FLT ATTENDANT. FLT ATTENDANT #2 TOLD US SHE HAD INSTRUCTED THE MAN TO SETTLE DOWN; REMAIN IN HIS SEAT; AND LEAVE THE OTHER PAX ALONE. AT THIS TIME; FLT ATTENDANT #2 BELIEVED THE SIT UNDER CTL TO THE DEGREE THAT NEITHER THE FO NOR I WERE NEEDED TO SPEAK TO THE PAX IN QUESTION. ABOUT 10-15 MINS LATER; FLT ATTENDANT #2 INFORMED US THAT THE PAX HAD BECOME EXTREMELY ABUSIVE WITH HIS FEMALE COMPANION; SO MUCH SO THAT HIS TRAVELING COMPANION WAS PUSHED BEYOND TEARS TO SOBBING. THIS FEMALE PAX THEN GOT UP TO USE ONE OF THE AFT LAVATORIES; AND FLT ATTENDANT #2 CHKED WITH HER TO SEE IF SHE WAS OK. THIS WOMAN IDENTED HERSELF AS THE PAX'S SISTER; AND TOLD FLT ATTENDANT #2 THAT; YES; SHE WAS OK; AND THAT THE MALE PAX HAD NOT ONLY BEEN DRINKING; BUT HAD ALSO TAKEN VALIUM. FLT ATTENDANT #2 TOLD US THAT SHE THEN INFORMED THE MALE PAX THAT ANY FURTHER ILL BEHAVIOR ON HIS PART WOULD RESULT IN HIS ARREST. I INSTRUCTED FLT ATTENDANT #2 TO DISCREETLY MOVE EVERYONE SEATED NEAR THIS PAX TO DIFFERENT SEATS. FLT ATTENDANT #2 TOLD US EVERYTHING HAD SETTLED DOWN AND THAT THE MALE PAX WAS HUGGING HIS SISTER AND APOLOGIZING FOR HIS EARLIER BEHAVIOR. NOT 5 MINS LATER; JUST W OF PMM; WE WERE INFORMED BY FLT ATTENDANT #2 THAT THIS PAX MAY HAVE PUNCHED HIS SISTER AND WAS GRABBING AND THREATENING OTHER PAX; POSSIBLY TRYING TO PICK A FIGHT. THIS IS WHEN WE TOLD ATC WE HAD A DISRUPTIVE; POSSIBLY VIOLENT PAX WHO WAS THREATENING OTHERS AND REQUESTED DIRECT TO ORD AND TO HAVE THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPT MEET US AT THE GATE. ATC WAS MOST ACCOMMODATING. BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS NOW GOT INTO THE ACT; MOVED EVERYONE AWAY FROM HIM AND DID A SUPERB JOB OF TALKING TO THE OFFENDING PAX; KEEPING HIM AS CALM AS POSSIBLE. IT IS THE FLT ATTENDANTS WHO DID A MARVELOUS JOB OF KEEPING THIS SIT FROM GROWING TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF VIOLENCE. SINCE THE FLT ATTENDANTS SEEMED TO HAVE A CALMING EFFECT ON THE PAX; AND WE WERE JUST ABOUT IN THE TERMINAL AREA; I DECIDED AGAINST ANY COCKPIT CREW MEMBER INTERVENTION; UNLESS THE UNRULY PAX BECAME A DIRECT THREAT TO THE SAFETY OF THE ACFT; PAX; OR CREW. WE INFORMED RAMP CTL OF OUR SIT AND THEY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF MAKING CERTAIN WE WOULD HAVE AN OPEN GATE ON OUR ARR AND MAKING THE REQUISITE COMPANY NOTIFICATIONS. DEPLANING PAX INFORMED ME THAT THIS PAX DID NOT PUNCH HIS SISTER; BUT THAT THE BLOW FLT ATTENDANT #2 HAD OBSERVED HIT AND DENTED THE INSIDE PANE OF THE WINDOW IMMEDIATELY BEHIND SEAT YF. (THIS WINDOW WAS IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF HIS SISTER'S FACE.) THIS ITEM WAS PLACED AS A NUMBERED WRITE-UP IN THE LOGBOOK. CHICAGO POLICE MET US ON ARR; AND BASED ON THEIR ASSESSMENT; TRANSPORTED THIS PAX TO; AND PLACED HIM IN THE CUSTODY OF A MENTAL HOSPITAL IN CHICAGO; RATHER THAN PLACING THIS INDIVIDUAL UNDER ARREST. THROUGHOUT THIS INCIDENT; BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SO CALM AND PROFESSIONAL; YOU COULD HAVE MADE A LIVE SCHOOLHOUSE TRAINING VIDEO. THEY DID A SUPERB JOB OF COMMUNICATING WITH THE COCKPIT AND GOING THE EXTRA MILE IN SHOWING CONCERN AND COMPASSION TOWARDS ALL THE PAX; EVEN OUR UNRULY GUEST. ANOTHER SISTER MET PAX AND THE SISTER THAT FLEW WITH HIM AT THE GATE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING; BASED ON A CONVERSATION THAT PAX HAD WITH OUR CUSTOMER SVC MGR; THAT PAX X SUFFERS FROM SOME TYPE OF MENTAL DISORDER; BUT HAD NOT BEEN SEEING HIS DOCTOR OR TAKING HIS MEDICATION. PAX Y FURTHER SPECULATED THAT THE DRINKING AND VALIUM USE WERE BECAUSE PAX X GREATLY FEARS FLYING. MY OBSERVATION WAS THAT HIS BEHAVIOR PRESENTED A CLR AND PRESENT DANGER TO NOT ONLY HIMSELF; BUTALSO THOSE SEATED AROUND HIM. BASED ON HIS RAPID AND UNPREDICTABLE MOOD SWINGS AND A VIOLENT TEMPER; AS EVIDENCED BY HIS SHOUTING; SCREAMING; EXTREME PROFANITY; AND THROWING OF PUNCHES; IT IS NOT A STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION TO SEE HIM HURTING SOMEONE ELSE OR PUTTING THE SAFETY OF THE FLT IN JEOPARDY. THEREFORE; I HAVE 2 RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) OUR AIRLINES HAVE THE FAA PURSUE THIS INDIVIDUAL AND FINE HIM $1000 FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH CREW MEMBER INSTRUCTIONS. EVEN IF HE IS TRULY DISTURBED; HE HAS NO BUSINESS FLYING NOR SHOULD HIS FAMILY ALLOW HIM TO FLY IN AN UNSTABLE; UNMEDICATED CONDITION. 2) ADDITIONALLY; PAX X SHOULD BE BANNED FROM FLYING UNLESS EVIDENCE CAN BE PRODUCED THAT THERE WILL NOT BE A REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF HIS BEHAVIOR. I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO COMPLIMENT THE FO; WHO FLEW A ROCK SOLID AIRPLANE TO A FLAWLESS LNDG. HE WAS THE PF AND NEVER TRIED TO WEAR ANY OTHER HAT. THE CUSTOMER SVC MGR WHO MET US AND DEALT WITH PAX X'S SISTERS WAS AWESOME. NOT ONLY WAS SHE THE CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL; I COULD FEEL THE COMPASSION AND CONCERN SHE HAD FOR PAX X AND HIS FAMILY. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE MET BY THE HUB COORDINATOR; WHO DID A TOP NOTCH JOB OF DEBRIEFING THEM AND ASSISTING THEM WITH THEIR PAPERWORK.