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SALT LAKE CITY — A federal judge has ordered a man from the United Kingdom to remain in custody in Utah after he was arrested and accused of fighting with passengers and crew members aboard a flight that was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Salt Lake City due to the man's unruly behavior.
William Stephen Hayes, 39, was arrested at the Salt Lake City International Airport on Tuesday during a flight from London's Heathrow Airport to Los Angeles, Salt Lake police said.
A federal complaint was filed Wednesday against Hayes who was charged with interfering with a flight crew and assault on an airplane.
Local officers at the airport were notified around 4:30 p.m. that Virgin Atlantic Flight 141 was being redirected to Salt Lake City "due to an unruly passenger."
"Based on the preliminary information, Hayes got upset midflight and after several attempts by the flight crew to maintain order, he became violent. Flight crew and passengers immediately intervened and restrained Hayes. While being restrained, Hayes allegedly assaulted the flight crew and at least one other passenger, which resulted in minor injuries. Hayes also kicked airplane seats and windows," police said in a statement.
Federal court documents further state that according to the witnesses, "throughout the flight Hayes was loud, disruptive, threatening and abusive to other passengers and to crew members. Flight attendants opened a restraint kit as a precaution. At one point during the flight, Hayes assaulted a male passenger seated in front of him, grabbing the passenger's shirt, attempting to hit him and grabbing his throat. This action left visible marks on the assaulted passenger's neck. Hayes also spat on and attempted to bite this passenger."
Two passengers and flight crew members then restrained Hayes, who was placed in handcuffs.
"While restrained, Hayes continued to fight and be abusive, and attempted to kick the windows of the aircraft," according to court documents.
After landing, Hayes, who was "actively being restrained by passengers and flight staff," according to police, was taken into custody by Salt Lake police and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.
The plane was inspected for possible damage before the flight continued to Los Angeles, arriving about four hours later than originally scheduled.
Hayes was taken to a Salt Lake County Jail where he was booked on a federal detention hold. He made an initial appearance in federal court Wednesday afternoon after the federal complaint was filed. A judge ordered him to remain in custody until his next hearing in a week.
"The safety and well-being of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and we don't tolerate any behavior that compromises this," Virgin Atlantic said in a prepared statement. "We always want our customers to have the best experience when they fly with us, and our cabin crew are highly trained to deal with any individuals that may impact that experience for others."
Unruly behavior has been on the rise in the skies, with last year being the worst on record for airplane passenger behavior in the U.S., according to Federal Aviation Administration data.
