Ex-Ram Jackson must pay $3,000 for pushing flight attendant

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Former St. Louis Rams defensive lineman Tyoka Jackson must pay a male flight attendant for pushing him on a plane, but the attendant will get only a fraction of what he sought in a federal lawsuit.

A federal jury on Wednesday ordered Jackson to pay Northwest Airlines attendant Gary Rihn $3,000 to cover medical expenses for the 2005 incident. Rihn had sought $250,000 in actual damages and $750,000 in punitive damages. The jury also denied the $200,000 sought by Rihn’s wife, who claimed he changed after the incident.

Rihn claimed Jackson shoved him across an aisle and into another passenger over the proper stowing of a laptop bag.

Jackson claimed he acted only after Rihn poked and prodded him.

Rihn’s attorney calls the ruling disappointing.

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com