Breeze Airways plane used for their inaugural flight from Memphis International Airport to Tampa can be seen on May 7, 2025 at the Memphis International Airport in Memphis, Tenn.

A Breeze Airways flight heading to Los Angeles from Virginia was diverted after a passenger with a skateboard became "unruly" and started waving the sports equipment around at flight attendants, according to local police and federal authorities.

Officers with Grand Junction police in Grand Junction, Colorado, about 244 miles west of Denver, responded to an incident at the Grand Junction Airport around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 13, the department said in a Facebook post.

Upon arrival, officers found that an intoxicated 46-year-old passenger from Los Angeles, "became agitated" and yelled "racist slurs at airline staff" while aboard Breeze Airways Flight 704, which had left Norfolk, Virginia, around 9 a.m. on Aug. 13, according to information from local police and the FBI.

As flight attendants attempted to restrain the man while in the air, he managed to break free of the restraints twice, prompting an emergency landing at the airport, police said.

Was the passenger charged with a crime?

The passenger did not physically assault anyone on the aircraft, and no injuries were reported, according to police.

Neither the police department nor the FBI provided information about possible charges the man may face, but confirmed that the U.S. Attorney's Office would release further details regarding charges.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, passengers who engage in unruly behavior can be sentenced to prison, fined up to $37,000 or be put on a no-fly list. In 2025, there have been over 1,000 cases of unruly passengers on board commercial planes, according to the FAA.

Following the incident, the passenger was taken into custody by the Grand Junction Police Department and transported to the Mesa County Detention Facility.

The flight was temporarily delayed at Grand Junction Airport while a new crew was brought in, the airline said in a statement. The flight departed from Colorado around 6 p.m. and arrived in Los Angeles at approximately 7 p.m.

An investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

Breeze Airways is a low-cost airline headquartered in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, and provides nonstop service between underserved routes at affordable rates, according to its website. The airline began operating commercially in 2021.

This story has been updated to add new information.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Breeze Airways flight diverts after 'unruly' passenger breaks restraints twice

Reporting by Michelle Del Rey , USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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