A Breeze Airways flight from Norfolk, Virginia, to Los Angeles was forced to divert to Grand Junction, Colorado, on Wednesday after an unruly passenger waved a skateboard, shouted racial slurs, and twice broke free from restraints, officials said.
Flight 704 departed Norfolk at 9:17 a.m. local time but was met by police at Grand Junction Airport around 11:15 a.m., according to ABC News. The suspect, identified as 46-year-old David Leroy Carter of Los Angeles, was taken into custody.
Grand Junction police said Carter was intoxicated and became aggressive toward airline staff and passengers. A physical altercation left one passenger and a flight attendant with minor injuries.
Breeze Airways said its “focus now is on taking care of our crew and guests” and ensuring passengers reach their destination as soon as possible.
According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, there have been 1,007 unruly passenger cases so far this year, down sharply from the 2021 peak of 5,973.
