Virginia man restrained after melee on flight from Washington
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Version 0 of 1. A 36-year-old Virginia man faces charges after allegedly attacking another passenger and two flight attendants before he was restrained on a flight from Reagan National Airport to Jacksonville, Fla. Joseph Michael Sharkey of Reston faces charges of assault or intimidation of a flight crew. The fracas Sunday broke about 20 minutes before the flight was scheduled to land, according to federal prosecutors in Florida. Sharkey drank four alcoholic beverages during the trip, according to charging documents. Sharkey allegedly began to verbally assault another passenger who was seated behind him. He got out of his seat and put the passenger in a head lock. When a flight attendant told him to go back to his seat, he started to sit down but then assaulted the flight attendant, authorities said. He then tried to get to an exit door on the plane, officials said, but another flight attendant intervened. Sharkey fought with that flight attendant and kneed him in the groin area, the documents said. Other passengers on the flight then helped subdue Sharkey and he was put in flex cuffs for the rest of the flight, officials said. In the charging documents, Sharkey is described as acting “in a belligerent fashion.” The plane landed safely at Jacksonville International Airport. Sharkey was taken off the plane by police at the airport. He made an initial court appearance in Jacksonville on Monday and has another hearing there this week. Officials said Sharkey faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the middle district of Florida. |