OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A flight from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles was diverted to Oklahoma City after a passenger assaulted a flight attendant, authorities said.
Capt. Arthur Gregory, of the Oklahoma City Police Department, confirmed to KFOR that the passenger hit a flight attendant Thursday night and that the plane had to reroute from its original destination and land at Will Rogers World Airport.
An air marshal who was on board the Delta Air Lines flight had the unruly passenger in custody when the plane landed in Oklahoma City, said Gregory. Police said the passenger also reportedly hit the air marshal.
Oklahoma City police officers escorted the suspect off the plane and detained him until the FBI arrived.
FBI agents questioned the man, who was being held at the Oklahoma County Detention Center. Charges were expected.
Officials did not provide the condition of the flight attendant or the air marshal.
Gregory did not have information on what led to the alleged assault.
The flight spent about an hour in Oklahoma City before continuing on to Los Angeles after the passenger was removed.
In a statement, Delta praised the “quick action and professionalism” of its crew and air marshals in handling the situation, and it apologized to customers “for the inconvenience.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland last month directed U.S. attorneys across the country to prioritize prosecutions of federal crimes that occur on commercial flights amid a historic spike in cases involving unruly passengers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.