A Kansas man was charged with assaulting an American Airlines flight attendant after ripping off his shirt, throwing the employee to the ground and dragging them up the aisle, prosecutors said.

Julius Jordan Priester, 24, of Wichita, was aboard a May 27 flight from Bradley International Airport, in Connecticut, when chaos erupted at about 10 p.m.

“Thirty minutes to an hour into the flight, Priester stood up, began to take off his shirt, then ran to the back of the plane yelling ‘Help me,’” said United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut David Sullivan.

“He then grabbed a flight attendant (‘the victim’), who was seated, shouted, ‘You’re coming with me,’ and forcefully brought the victim to the ground.”

Priester tried to drag the victim up the aisle, but was restrained by fellow passengers who jumped in to save the flight attendant.

Priester continued to shout incoherent statements after the passengers helped get him back to a seat, Sullivan’s office added. 

The Chicago-bound flight was diverted back to Bradley after the captain declared an emergency, officials said.

Connecticut State Police met the plane at the airport and arrested Priester, who was taken to a local hospital for an evaluation.

The flight attendant was not identified, and their condition was unknown.

An American Airlines statement said the flight was grounded due to a “disruptive customer.”

“We do not tolerate violence, and we thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their assistance,” the statement said. 

Priester was charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, prosecutors said. 

Prior to the outburst on the plane, Priester has a criminal history in Kansas, including an aggravated assault charge, prosecutors said. 

The suspect remains in police custody ahead of a bond hearing scheduled for Friday, Sullivan’s office said.