ROMULUS, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Delta plane from Indianapolis to Paris was diverted to Detroit on Thursday night after a man allegedly assaulted a flight attendant and threw up on the plane.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court on Friday morning, the flight took off at 6:04 p.m. from Indianapolis, headed to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.
About 40 minutes into the flight, the criminal complaint alleges Ian Robert Jame Morin began yelling and acting erratically. The complaint says that the flight crew tried to calm him down, but he continued to yell and scream.
"Morin hit one of the flight attendants with an open hand to the left side of her throat near her carotid artery," the complaint said. "Morin continued to yell and attempted to hit the flight attendant again. During the altercation, Morin threw up on the aircraft."
According to the complaint, flight attendants and several passengers helped restrain Morin until he could be placed into flex-cuffs, and the flight was diverted to Detroit Metro Airport.
The pilot asked for help from law enforcement when they landed at DTW, and at 8:08 p.m., the flight arrived and Customs and Border Protection and Wayne County Airport Authority Police entered the aircraft to remove Morin from the flight.
The flight was deplaned and passengers were booked overnight before taking off on Friday morning for Paris.
The daughter of a chief meteorologist at our sister station in Indianapolis was on the flight.
“They thought a passenger was having a panic attack," Kevin Gregory said, according to RTV6. "He got up and he was really boisterous and then he started throwing some punches, trying to bite. And he ended up being subdued, put in handcuffs and a couple people holding him down until they went all the way back to Detroit."
Agents are looking to charge Morin with Interference with Flight Crew Members and Attendants.
