Passenger arrested after being restrained with duct tape, zip ties during American Airlines flight, reports say

(Gray News) - A man was arrested for alleged unruly behavior on an American Airlines flight, causing it to divert to Baltimore, according to multiple reports.

The incident took place on an American Airlines flight that took off from Dallas and was en route to Newark, ABC News reported.

Juan Mejia, a passenger on that flight and a former law enforcement officer, told ABC he began hearing a disturbance near the end of the flight.

Mejia said the man, identified as 67-year-old Arthur Lundeen, was allegedly making derogatory remarks to the staff and other passengers.

Witnesses on the flight said Lundeen appeared to be drunk. When a flight attendant tried to calm him down, he started making racial slurs, vulgar language, very offensive to the women.

Mejia and his friend said they monitored the situation and intervened after Lundeen became physical.

Lundeen was then restrained to his seat with duct tape and his hands were restrained with zip ties, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.

The two passengers said they stayed with Lundeen until law enforcement officials boarded the plane and took him into custody after the plane landed in Baltimore.

Lundeen was removed from the plane and the flight continued to Newark.

In a statement, AA says the flight was diverted “due to a disruptive customer.” When the plane landed in Baltimore, Maryland Transportation Authority Police boarded the plane and found the suspect “restrained to his seat by duct tape and his hands secured by zip ties.”

Lundeen was charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree assault.

The FBI said the investigation is ongoing.