Latest news with #Priester
Mint
3 days ago
- Mint
Kansas man arrested for dragging American Airlines flight attendant up the aisle mid-air, faces up to 20 years in jail
A 24-year-old man from Kansas has been arrested for assaulting an American Airlines flight attendant on board, reports quoting prosecutors have said. 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.
NDTV
3 days ago
- NDTV
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 Pos t. 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. 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.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Plane Passenger Allegedly Drags Flight Attendant Down Aisle
Plane Passenger Allegedly Drags Flight Attendant Down Aisle originally appeared on Parade. A terrifying incident unfolded midair when a Kansas man allegedly dragged a flight attendant down the aisle during a flight. Julius Jordan Priester, 24, was on an American Airlines flight from Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut, to Chicago on Tuesday, May 27 when about 30 to 60 minutes into the flight, Priester stood up, removed his shirt, and ran toward the back of the plane shouting for help. According to a statement from the Department of Justice shared a day later, Priester then grabbed a seated flight attendant and forcefully dragged them across the cabin, shouting, 'You're coming with me.' 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 As the situation escalated, several passengers quickly intervened, managing to restrain the man and return him to his seat. However, Priester's behavior remained erratic, with incoherent statements and agitation. The captain then declared an emergency, resulting in the flight being diverted back to Bradley International Airport. Once on the ground, Priester was removed by Connecticut State Police and taken to a hospital for evaluation. According to the statement, he faces charges of assaulting a crew member and interfering with flight crew members, with a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Priester was detained, and a bond hearing is scheduled for Friday, May 30. American Airlines stated, 'We do not tolerate violence,' in a statement to CBS Newsand thanked both the crew and passengers for their professionalism in handling the situation. The FBI and Connecticut State Police are investigating the matter, and authorities are working to determine the cause of Priester's erratic behavior during the flight. Plane Passenger Allegedly Drags Flight Attendant Down Aisle first appeared on Parade on May 30, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Shirtless man on Bradley Airport flight attempted to drag flight attendant, police say
A 24-year-old man was arrested in connection with grabbing and trying to drag a flight attendant on a flight from Bradley International Airport flying to Chicago, officials said. Julius Jordan Priester was charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants, according to the office of David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. The offense of interfering with flight crew members and attendants carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, Sullivan's office wrote on Wednesday. On May 27, Priester was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 3359, which left Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, for Chicago at about 9:30 p.m. Between thirty minutes to an hour into the flight, Priester stood up, began to take off his shirt and ran to the back of the plane yelling 'help me.' He then grabbed a flight attendant who was seated and shouted, 'you're coming with me.' He forcefully brought the attendant to the ground and attempted to drag them up the aisle, Sullivan's office wrote. Passengers intervened and Priester was returned to his seat, continuing to 'act erratically' and make statements that did not make sense, according to Sullivan's office. The captain of the plane declared an emergency, and the flight was diverted back to Bradley Airport. Following the plane's landing at the airport, Priester was removed by Connecticut State Police and taken by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation. Priester appeared on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford. He is detained pending a bond hearing that is scheduled for today, Sullivan's office wrote. Man died in Webster house fire, reports say Man killed in fire at multi-family home in Revere, fire officials say Fatal Cape Cod house fire caused by smoldering cigarettes, fire officials say Read the original article on MassLive.
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Passenger violently attacks flight attendant on plane out of Connecticut
A passenger on a flight from Connecticut's Bradley International Airport had an onboard outburst and allegedly attacked a flight attendant, the Justice Department said. The incident occurred Tuesday around 9:30 p.m. on American Airlines Flight 3359 headed for Chicago. The passenger, identified as Julius Jordan Priester, 24, of Wichita, Kan., allegedly got out of his seat, took off his shirt and ran to the back of the plane screaming 'help me.' Priester then grabbed a flight attendant, threw them to the ground and tried to drag them down the aisle while shouting 'you're coming with me,' according to the DOJ. Other passengers eventually intervened and Priester was taken back to his seat, where he 'continued to act erratically' and make 'incoherent statements.' The pilot of the plane declared an emergency and was forced to divert the flight back to Bradley. Once back in Connecticut, Priester was arrested and taken to a hospital for evaluation. He was later charged with interfering with flight crew members, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars. Priester had an initial court appearance on Wednesday and remains detained. A bond hearing is scheduled for Friday. 'We do not tolerate violence, and we thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their assistance,' American Airlines said in a statement.
