Kansas man arrested for dragging American Airlines flight attendant up the aisle mid-air, faces up to 20 years in jail
According to a report by The New York Post, the man, identified as Julius Jordan Priester assaulted the flight attendant after ripping off his shirt. He allegedly threw the employee to the ground and dragged them up the aisle, as per the report quoting prosecutors.
Priester, a 24-year-old resident of Wichita, boarded the American Airlines flight from Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut.
The Department of Justice said he was arrested and charged for assaulting the cabin crew member.
The incident happened at around 10 pm when the Chicago-bound flight was mid-air, The Post reported, resulting in chaos.
'Thirty minutes to an hour into the flight, Priester stood up, began to take off his shirt, then ran to the back of the plane yelling 'Help me,'' United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut David Sullivan was quoted as saying.
Priester then grabbed the victim who was seated, forcefully bringing them to the ground.
'He then grabbed a flight attendant ('the victim'), who was seated, shouted, 'You're coming with me,' and forcefully brought the victim to the ground,' Sullivan said.
The attacker tried to drag the cabin crew member up the aisle but was stopped by passengers who rushed to save the employee.
Sullivan's office further added that Priester continued to shout incoherent comments even after passengers helped him get seated.
American Airlines issued a statement regarding the matter, lauding its cabin crew members for their assistance.
'We do not tolerate violence, and we thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their assistance,' it said.
However, the incident forced the pilot to divert the plane back to Bradley after the captain declared an emergency. Following the safe touchdown of the flight, Connecticut State Police arrived onboard to arrest Priester, who was then taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Prosecutors have also revealed that Priester already has a criminal history in Kansas, with charges including that of an aggravated assault. He is currently in police custody and will be produced at the court soon.
Priester can face imprisonment for up to 20 years with charges of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.
The condition of the affected flight attendant has not been revealed.
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