A former NFL offensive tackle is accused of living up to the "offensive" part when he allegedly urinated on an elderly woman while drunk on a flight from Boston to Dublin.
Gosder Cherilus, a first-round pick of the Detroit Lions in 2008, was arrested after the plane returned to Boston's Logan International Airport early Sunday following the disgusting mid-air disturbance.
Cherilus, 40, of Wakefield, Massachusetts, was charged with interfering with the operation of an aircraft, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after state troopers were dispatched to the airport around 2 a.m., WBZ-TV reported Monday.
"Troopers verbally commanded Cherilus to leave the plane, but he became irate and uncooperative," the state police said, according to WBZ. "Eventually, Troopers escorted Cherilus to the jet bridge and placed him under arrest."
Cherilus pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Monday morning and was released on $2,500 bail pending another court appearance on Oct. 11.
He declined to comment to reporters but posted a statement on X in which he apologized to the passengers and flight crew and blamed his alleged actions on a sleep aid.
"The flight was unexpectedly delayed for approximately four hours, and it did not take off until after 12:30AM," he wrote. "In preparation for the unexpected overnight flight, I took a sleeping medication that I don't normally use, which resulted in behavior that is not representative of my character."
— Gosder Cherilus (@GosderCherilus) August 19, 2024
Cherilus allegedly appeared drunk when he arrived at Logan and argued with another passenger over seating arrangements before Delta Flight 154 took off.
About an hour into the trip, he allegedly walked up to an elderly woman, exposed himself and emptied "his entire bladder for approximately 20 seconds," WBZ said, citing a police report.
The shocked flight crew tried to intervene but Cherilus, who's 6 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs about 280 pounds, allegedly became aggressive and hit an elderly man on the way back to his seat.
The troopers who arrested him reportedly had to link together two sets of handcuffs due to his large size.
A federal investigation is underway because the incident occurred over Canadian waters, WBZ said.
