Jonathan J. Dunn, the former Delta Air Lines pilot indicted for threatening to shoot his captain if he diverted a flight for a medical emergency, is an Air Force Reserve officer who was relieved of his duties for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination, according to The Associated Press.
Court records show Dunn was indicted on October 18 and charged with interfering with a flight crew over the alleged incident, which occurred in August 2022. An arraignment is set for Nov. 16 in Utah.
AP reported that Dunn is the same man who, in a prior case, filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against the Pentagon in an attempt to avoid disciplinary actions by the Air Force for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination. Having already contracted the virus, Dunn requested a religious exemption from the Department of Defense, which was subsequently denied.
In April 2022, while his legal proceedings continued in the lower courts, Dunn petitioned the Supreme Court to take immediate action. On April 18, that year, the Supreme Court rejected a request for intervention on behalf of Dunn in a 6-3 decision. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented in the opinion.
Additionally, U.S. solicitor general Elizabeth Prelogar stated that the Air Force had relieved Dunn of his command for reasons other than his refusal to be vaccinated, citing “poor judgment and abuse of authority.”
