Officials say a woman was being held in an Indiana jail late Monday after she forced a Chicago-bound American Airlines flight to divert to Indianapolis by striking another passenger and a flight attendant.
The Indianapolis Star reported that the unidentified woman became “unruly” at approximately 5:30 p.m. local time on board American Airlines Flight 1284 from Miami. The paper, citing an online flight log, reported that the plane was flying over Sullivan County, Ind.
It was unclear exactly what the woman’s initial “unruly” behavior entailed. Jeff Dutton, communications manager for Indianapolis International Airport, told the Star that the woman was detained and taken to the back of the plane. It was there, Dutton said, that the woman struck the passenger and flight attendant, at which point the pilot decided to divert the flight.
The plane landed in Indianapolis at around 6 p.m. local time and was boarded by airport police, who escorted her off the aircraft. According to Dutton, the woman kicked an officer as she was being taken off the plane. The flight left Indianapolis shortly after 7 p.m.
The Star reported that the woman faces a charge of battery resulting in bodily injury for the alleged assault on the flight attendant), as well as two counts of battery, criminal recklessness, disorderly conduct and disruption of a flight.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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