SEATTLE (AP) - The Latest on a passenger being accused of assaulting a flight attendant on a Delta Air Lines flight from Seattle to Beijing (all times local):
2:26 p.m.
Authorities say a flight attendant broke at least one wine bottle over the head of a passenger who lunged for an exit door during a struggle on a Delta Air Lines flight from Seattle to Beijing on Thursday night.
The disclosure came as 23-year-old Joseph Daniel Hudek IV of Tampa, Florida, appeared Friday in a federal courtroom in Seattle.
He is charged with interfering with a flight crew and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
A criminal complaint says Hudek was served one beer prior to takeoff and did not appear intoxicated.
It says Hudek came out of a bathroom about an hour into the flight and lunged for an exit door in the first-class section.
Two flight attendants tried to stop him and authorities say one broke a wine bottle on him during the struggle.
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1 p.m.
Federal authorities have released the name of a 23-year-old Tampa, Florida, man accused of assaulting a flight attendant on a Delta Air Lines flight from Seattle to Beijing on Thursday night.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle identified the man as Joseph Daniel Hudek IV.
He’s due to make an initial appearance Friday afternoon in federal court.
It wasn’t immediately known if he had a lawyer.
Officials say Hudek was in the first-class section when he attacked the flight attendant about 45 minutes after takeoff. Other passengers restrained him and the plane returned to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
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9 a.m.
The FBI says the Florida man accused of assaulting a flight attendant on a Delta Airlines flight from Seattle to Beijing on Thursday night is scheduled to appear in federal court Friday.
The 23-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was in the first class section when he attacked the flight attendant about 45 minutes into the flight.
Perry Cooper, a spokesman for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, said Friday that the flight attendant and another passenger were transported to Highline Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
Ayn Dietrich, an FBI spokeswoman, says the investigation is ongoing and more details about the incident will be provided in the charges announced at the man’s initial appearance in federal court at 2 p.m. Friday in Seattle.
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12:55 a.m.
A Delta Airlines flight bound for Beijing returned to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after a passenger assaulted and injured a flight attendant, officials said.
The 23-year-old man sitting in first class attacked the flight attendant about 45 minutes into Delta Flight 129 on Thursday night Sea-Tac Airport spokesman Perry Cooper said.
Passengers helped restrain him, Cooper said, until the plane landed back at Sea-Tac and Port of Seattle police arrested the man, whose name has not been released.
“The passenger was restrained on board and was removed from the flight by law enforcement without further incident,” Delta said in a statement.
The flight attendant and one other person were injured and taken to a hospital.
Passenger Dustin Jones was seated just behind the curtains that lead to first class, and said he could tell there was a scuffle happening.
“One of the flight attendants ran back and said there was a Code 3,” Jones told KIRO-TV. “There was a serious fight up front.”
Jones said he saw the man handcuffed and zip-tied being rolled into the terminal in a wheelchair after they had landed.
“He started yelling for help,” Jones said. “And so he turned the wheelchair over in the middle of the airport, screaming for people to help him, just being belligerent.”
Airport officials said they conferred with the FBI and the incident is not thought to be a national security threat.
The flight left for Beijing later Thursday night.
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