A Delta flight to Los Angeles was diverted after a drunken passenger assaulted a flight attendant and US air marshal, police say
- A Delta flight to Los Angeles was diverted after a drunk passenger became violent, police said.
- The 35-year-old allegedly assaulted a flight attendant and an air marshal.
A Delta flight was diverted Thursday after a drunken passenger allegedly assaulted a flight attendant and US air marshal, according to the Oklahoma City Police Department.
The flight, which was traveling from Washington to Los Angeles, had to make an emergency landing in Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport.
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the 35-year-old passenger was intoxicated and became "disruptive, causing a security concern," WUSA9 reported.
Oklahoma City Police Department said in a statement that the suspect was arrested after the plane had landed. He was subsequently charged with disorderly conduct and public drunkness.
"He was screaming," passenger Ana Cobian told WUSA9. "But everyone remained calm and everyone understood that we couldn't create more of a scene.
Oklahoma City Police Capt. Arthur Gregory told NBC News: "An air marshal on board intervened, at which point the passenger assaulted the air marshal," he said. "The air marshal was basically able to get them in custody."
Delta Airlines did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
The airline said in a statement to WUSA9: "Delta applauds the quick action and professionalism of the crew and federal air marshals on Delta flight 342 from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, which diverted to Oklahoma City after a customer became unruly and was removed from the flight by local law enforcement."
Pennington was released Friday on bond, the Oklahoma County Detention Center told Fox News.
There have been multiple cases of unruly passengers on flights in recent months.
In October, a Delta Airlines flier was arrested after he allegedly punched another passenger. The dispute occurred after one of the passengers put an item in his seat pocket. In a video verified by NBC News, the two men fought in the aisle while several people attempted to restrain them.
In the same month, the US Department of Justice charged a 21-year-old Delta Airlines passenger who allegedly punched a flight attendant in the face and attempted to breach the cockpit.