Breeze Airways Jet Diverts After Skateboard-Wielding Passenger Evades Restraints

A Breeze Airways flight traveling from Norfolk, Virginia, to Los Angeles was forced to divert to Grand Junction Regional Airport in Colorado on Wednesday after an intoxicated male passenger became violent on board, according to airline and law-enforcement statements. Grand Junction police said the passenger shouted racist slurs and swung a skateboard at crew members and fellow travelers. Airline staff twice placed the man in restraints, but he freed himself both times, prompting the crew to request an emergency landing. The FBI took the suspect into custody on arrival; he remains at the Mesa County Detention Facility while federal charges are prepared. The airline reported that one flight attendant and one passenger were evaluated for minor injuries, though police said no formal injury reports were filed. The incident adds to a rise in disruptive behavior: the Federal Aviation Administration has logged more than 1,000 unruly-passenger cases so far this year.