US Man Charged For Assaulting American Airlines Flight Attendant In Mid-Air Meltdown

A 24-year-old Kansas man has been charged after he allegedly grabbed a flight attendant and dragged her up the aisle of a Chicago-bound flight, leaving from Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut. The Department of Justice said Julius Jordan Priester was arrested and charged with assaulting the cabin crew member.

The incident took place on Tuesday (May 27) when the American Airlines flight was over 30 minutes into the journey, according to a report in the New York Post. United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut David Sullivan said Priester stood up, started taking off his shirt and ran to the back of the plane yelling, "Help me".

He added that Priester then grabbed a flight attendant, who was seated, and shouted, ‘You're coming with me,' and forcefully brought the victim to the ground.

As the kerfuffle ensued, several passengers intervened and managed to subdue Priester, bringing him back to his seat in the process. Although he continued acting erratically and making incoherent statements, the authorities added.

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Priester arrested

The plane was diverted back to Bradley after the captain declared an emergency. As the plane safely touched down, Connecticut State Police arrived onboard and arrested Priester, who was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

The condition of the flight attendant, whose identity has not been disclosed, remains unknown. Meanwhile, American Airlines issued a statement, lauding the flight crew for their reaction to the incident.

“We do not tolerate violence, and we thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their assistance,” the statement said.

Prosecutors revealed that Priester already has a criminal history in Kansas, including an aggravated assault charge. Priester remains in police custody with a court hearing lined up. The charges of interfering with flight crew members and attendants carries a maximum term of 20 years of imprisonment.