PLEASANT HILL, CALIFORNIA: Joseph David Emerson was known to his neighbors as that "fantastic" and devoted father of two, married to his doting wife, Sarah Stretch. But the Alaska Airlines pilot is currently facing 83 counts of attempted murder after allegedly attempting to shut down the engines of the plane while it was mid-air.
The family lives in a serene $1.2 million four-bedroom home nestled in Pleasant Hill, California, a close-knit residential block situated in the rolling hills east of San Francisco.
Neighbors paint picture of ideal family
Neighbors in the area have said Emerson was a content and cheerful family man who frequently engaged with his two young sons, playing basketball on a court he had built for them in the backyard and often inviting neighbors over for gatherings.
Emerson's wife, Sarah, was also held in high regard by the community. She was known as a doting mother and an accomplished swimming coach who taught physical education at a local community college.
Their neighbor, Karen Yee, told the Daily Mail, "It's very hard for us to believe that he would do anything intentionally like that. I can't fathom him doing anything that would hurt anyone."
Ed Yee, her husband, echoed these sentiments. "He's never had a negative statement about his job or anything like that," he told the newspaper.
Lou Rossi, a retired US Air Force veteran and another neighbor, praised Emerson's character, describing him as a "really nice man" who had never given any reason to doubt his character.
Rossi had, on occasion, engaged in casual conversations with Emerson about planes and engines, further attesting to the pilot's passion for his work.
"He seemed to enjoy his work," Rossi said. "He was doing a lot of training time."
The incident, which has baffled not only the local community but also the aviation industry, occurred during a flight in which passengers were informed that Emerson had experienced a "mental breakdown."
Aubrey Gavello, a passenger who was on board during the ordeal, recounted the tense moments when a flight attendant informed them of the emergency situation and the need to land immediately.
It was only later that passengers were informed that it was classified as a "medical emergency."
Joseph David Emerson was taken off plane in handcuffs
As the flight touched down, law enforcement officials swiftly took action, escorting Emerson off the aircraft in handcuffs. His booking sheet describes him as a 6-foot-1, 44-year-old bald white man with blue eyes, weighing 210 pounds.
Aubrey Gavello, one of the passengers who experienced the harrowing mid-air ordeal, told ABC News of the moment when a flight attendant shared that Emerson had suffered a "mental breakdown."
"After we did land and the gentleman was escorted off," Gavello said, "the flight attendant got back on the speaker and said, plain and simple, 'He had a mental breakdown. We needed to get him off the plane immediately.'"
Passenger Alex Wood, who was also on the flight, commended the professionalism of the airline staff in handling the situation. He noted that the pilot had announced there was a "disturbance in the cockpit," but it was managed calmly and without panic, allowing passengers to land safely.
Wood told the outlet, "It was very professional, handled very calmly, and we didn't really know what was going on until we landed."
