Oliver Minatel, Ottawa Fury Soccer Player, Attacked on Plane

The Ottawa Fury FC confirmed that Oliver Minatel, a 22-year-old forward for the team, was attacked during a flight from Toronto to Atlanta on Friday.

CNN's Steve Almasy provided details on the incident:

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A passenger on an Atlanta-bound Air Canada flight told a CNN reporter on the plane Friday that a stranger sitting behind him tried to choke him.

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"With a rope, something that he has, he just jumped on me. That's what happened," Minatel told CNN's Paula Newton moments after the incident. She was seated four rows behind Minatel.

The incident occurred about a half hour before the flight landed, after the pilots had begun their descent.

"I forced it (the cord) down and then other people came to help, and then I got out and he started saying that we were here to kill him," Minatel said.

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"We're very thankful to everyone who came to the aid of Oliver and relieved that he's OK and ready to play in our game against the Silverbacks in Atlanta tomorrow evening," Fury coach Marc Dos Santos said in the team's press release. "I and others on the flight have made statements to the proper authorities and I'd like to leave further comment on the matter to them while we prepare for the game."

ESPN's Taylor Twellman is only one of many astonished after reading the story:

The CNN report provided a statement from FBI Special Agent Stephen Emmert, who commented on the attacker:

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The passenger, however, was transported for medical/mental evaluation under the direction and coordination of the Atlanta Police Department. While there are currently no federal charges pending, the facts of the matter are being relayed to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta.

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The Fury were on their way to Georgia to take on the Atlanta Silverbacks in the North American Soccer League on Saturday night.