A man is facing charges after he allegedly attacked a flight attendant onboard a plane leaving Bradley International Airport on Tuesday.
The U.S. Department of Justice said a man in his 20s was arrested for assaulting a crew member on an American Airlines flight that was headed to Chicago, Illinois, around 9:30 p.m.
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WATCH HEREOfficials said that 30 minutes to an hour into the flight, the man stood up, started taking 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," before forcibly bringing them to the ground, according to officials.
The man allegedly tried to drag the flight attendant up the aisle. Passengers of the flight intervened and the man was brought back to his seat, where he continued to act erratically and made incoherent statements, authorities said.
The captain declared an emergency and the flight was diverted back to Bradley Airport. When the plane landed safely, state police arrested the man and he was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
He appeared in court on Wednesday and has another court appearance on Friday. The FBI is assisting with the investigation.
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In a statement, American Airlines said they returned to Bradley due to a disruptive customer.
"We do not tolerate violence, and we thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their assistance," a spokesperson said.
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