London’s Metropolitan Police arrested a 39-year-old deputy U.S. Marshal on Wednesday morning at Heathrow Airport for appearing inappropriately whereas intoxicated on a flight from New York, in keeping with the U.S. Marshals Service.
The police in London stated they obtained stories round 6:30 a.m. native time from the employees on an inbound Delta flight “{that a} passenger was disruptive and had sexually assaulted different passengers and crew.”
The police stated he was taken into custody, the place he remained as of Thursday morning as an investigation continues.
Delta stated that due to “unruly passenger conduct whereas in flight, Delta Flight 1, J.F.Ok. to London-Heathrow, was met by native legislation enforcement upon touchdown, and Delta is cooperating with their investigation,” however declined to provide extra data.
The person was one in all two marshals on the flight touring to London, the Marshals Service stated. The second marshal was briefly detained however has since returned to the US.
The Marshals Service’s duties embrace apprehending federal fugitives, housing and transporting federal prisoners, and working the Witness Safety Program.
“The U.S. Marshals Service takes significantly any allegations of misconduct by its workers,” the company stated in a press release. “The alleged actions of the staff don’t mirror the professionalism of the hundreds of workers of the usM.S. or its core values.”
Airways noticed a rise in unruly conduct on flights through the pandemic, although lots of these centered on masks insurance policies. The variety of disruptive midair episodes peaked in 2021, in keeping with the Federal Aviation Administration, with nearly 6,000 incidents — a 492 % improve from the prior yr. Shaky cellphone footage of brawls and insults on planes turned a staple on social media.
The numbers dipped in 2022 after masks mandates ended, with a complete of two,455 recorded incidents. In 2023 the numbers have dropped once more, with 1,931 incidents thus far, in keeping with the F.A.A.