Callum Kerr, a 35-year-old bare-knuckle boxer and father of three, died on Tuesday after being restrained by passengers and crew on a Jet2 flight from Larnaca, Cyprus, to Manchester. The aircraft landed in the early hours of Monday, but by the afternoon of 23 June 2026, Kerr was dead in hospital.
Greater Manchester police were called at 2.25am on Monday to reports of a man behaving aggressively towards passengers and crew, assaulting a passenger and a member of cabin crew. When officers boarded the plane, they found Kerr being restrained by passengers and aircrew at the rear. Handcuffs were applied, but as officers began checks, they quickly realised he was unresponsive. They started CPR and paramedics took him to hospital, where he later died.
“Callum Kerr, 35, died after being restrained by passengers and crew on a Jet2 flight from Larnaca to Manchester.”
In a tribute released through police, Kerr’s family described him as “a family man, father to three beautiful young children, a lover of sport and with a heart of gold.”
Because Kerr died after coming into contact with police, the case was automatically referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which will independently investigate the actions of the five officers who boarded the flight. The IOPC said the officers were being treated as witnesses, not suspects, and that body-worn footage had already been reviewed. “I want to reassure people our investigation will be thorough, and independent of the police, to ensure we understand exactly what has happened,” said IOPC director of engagement Amanda Rowe. “This will focus on the actions of police, while a separate GMP investigation is considering the actions of the members of the public involved.”
Chief Superintendent Mike Allen of GMP said: “We know passengers and aircrew worked to detain the man to bring the incident to an end. Our detectives are investigating this to understand the full circumstances.”
Kerr, from Warrington, was a bare-knuckle boxer. The IOPC has been in contact with his family and said it would keep them updated as its investigation progresses.