JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Virginia man arrested Sunday by the FBI when a JetBlue flight from Washington's Regan National Airport landed at Jacksonville International Airport has been charged with assault or intimidation of a flight crew.
The incident happened during the Flight 715, which landed at JAX around 4 p.m.
According to the criminal complaint released Monday by the U.S. Attorney's office, Sharkey verbally assaulted another passenger and then placed that passenger in a headlock. When ordered by a flight attendant to return to his seat, Sharkey at first complied, but then assaulted the flight attendant and made an effort exit the airplane through an exit door. Sharkey was stopped by another flight attendant, but then fought with him, kneeing him in the groin.
The complaint went on to say that passengers volunteered to help flight attendants subdue Sharkey, who was placed in flex cuffs for the remainder of the flight. The airplane landed safely at JIA and Sharkey was removed from the flight by Jacksonville Aviation Authority Police.
The FBI said neither Sharkley nor anyone else on the plane was injured.
Sharkey made his initial appearance Monday in federal court in Jacksonville. He was temporarily ordered detained until his formal detention hearing on Wednesday.