Monday, February 18 2013 10:46 PM EST2013-02-19 03:46:49 GMT
All weekend, the story of a Twin Cities toddler who was allegedly slapped in the face by a corporate executive aboard a flight to Atlanta has been making headlines. Now, the family is speaking out.
All weekend, the story of a Twin Cities toddler who was allegedly slapped in the face by a corporate executive aboard a flight to Atlanta has been making headlines. Now, the family is speaking out.
The 60-year-old Idaho man accused of slapping a Minneapolis toddler on a Delta flight and yelling a racial slur has pleaded not guilty to a charge of simple assault.
Joe Hundley appeared in court on Thursday and admitted to using the racial slur, but he denied hitting 19-month-old Jonah Bennett when he wouldn't stop crying.
Hundley's attorney said her client was under a great deal of stress at the time because he was flying to Atlanta to take his son off life support.
"He said what he said, and he's admitting that -- but that wasn't a crime," said defense attorney Marcia Shein. "That was just an inappropriate statement in a very difficult time for him. We hope, for Mrs. Bennett's sake and our client's sake, that everyone will forgive him for what he said and heal."
The boy's mother claims Hundley reeked of alcohol at the time of the incident.
The former business executive lost his job after he was charged. If convicted, he could face a year in prison.
