American Airlines Flight Diverted After Passenger Assaults Attendant, Airline Says

An American Airlines flight made an emergency landing Wednesday evening after a passenger reportedly assaulted a flight attendant.

Flight 976 had departed New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and was headed to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, but was diverted to Denver because of the incident, the airline said.

Law enforcement apprehended the passenger at the gate, according to American Airlines. The airline did not provide additional details or the flight attendant’s condition.

“Acts of violence against our team members will not be tolerated by American Airlines,” it said in a written statement. “The individual involved in this incident will never be allowed to travel with American Airlines in the future, but we will not be satisfied until he has been prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This behavior must stop, and aggressive enforcement and prosecution of the law is the best deterrent.”

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