Oregon man arrested at Key West airport after in-flight battery claim
A Gresham man was arrested at Key West International after a flight ended with a battery claim, and deputies met the plane at the gate.
The flight into Key West ended with deputies waiting at the gate and John Gregory Duffy, 61, in custody after an adult female passenger alleged he repeatedly grabbed her during the trip. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said Duffy, of Gresham, Oregon, was arrested at Key West International Airport on Saturday, May 16, and charged with one misdemeanor count of Battery-Touch or Strike.
According to the sheriff’s-office account summarized by Tampa Free Press, the woman said Duffy grabbed her breast and then her thigh. Multiple witnesses later spoke with authorities after the aircraft landed, and officials said no serious physical injuries were reported. Duffy was transported to the Monroe County Jail and was issued a $5,000 bond.
A family member disputed the allegations in a statement to Tampa Free Press, leaving the account contested as the case moves into Monroe County’s court process. The sheriff’s office current-arrests pages note that people shown as arrested have not been found guilty in a court of law, a reminder that the charge is an accusation, not a conviction.
The arrest also highlights how quickly a disturbance in the cabin can become a Monroe County public-safety matter once a plane reaches the airport. Monroe County says Key West International Airport provides air carrier service to the Keys, and county airport figures show about 872,000 TSA screenings there in calendar year 2025. That volume makes the airport one of the county’s busiest gateways, with travelers, airline crews, airport security and local deputies all part of the response when a passenger complaint escalates in flight.
For Monroe County, the case lands squarely at the intersection of tourism, transportation and law enforcement. A dispute that began in the air was handled immediately on the ground at the county’s main commercial airport, where a misdemeanor battery charge, a jail booking and a public denial now define the next steps.
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