By: Richard L. Smith
A Washington, DC man has been charged with threatening and intimidating flight attendants during a flight to Newark Liberty International Airport, an incident that required passengers and crew to restrain him, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Kedus Yacob Damtew, 38, was charged in Newark federal court with one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants by assault or intimidation.
He appeared before Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh in Washington, DC, and was released.
The incident occurred on June 12, 2024, during a flight from Houston, Texas, to Newark.
According to court documents, Damtew removed his shirt mid-flight and aggressively confronted a flight attendant, pressing his bare chest against the attendant and pinning them against the aircraft exit door.
He then shouted threats and expletives, punched an aircraft oven, and pursued the same flight attendant to the rear of the plane, where he continued to yell and threw a cup of water.
The disturbance prompted another flight attendant to call for assistance over the public address system.
Several passengers intervened, securing Damtew with flex cuffs in the plane's last row until the flight landed safely in Newark.
Damtew faces a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.
The U.S. Department of Justice provided the details for this report.
