Passenger refuses to wear mask, exposes buttocks to air hostess

NEW YORK, USA - Prosecutors said in an unsealed case Friday that a passenger who refused to wear a mask on a flight from Dublin to New York City pulled down his pants and showed his buttocks, hurled a can at another passenger, and put his cap on the captain's head and warned him, "Don't touch me."

Prosecutors said Shane McInerney, 29, of Galway, Ireland, was charged with willfully assaulting and threatening a crew member aboard the Delta Air Lines flight from Dublin to John F Kennedy International Airport on January 7. Prosecutors say he faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted.

McInerney's lawyer, Benjamin Yaster, declined to comment on the charges on Saturday. According to prosecutors, McInerney appeared in federal court in the New York City borough of Brooklyn on January 14 and was freed on a $20,000 bail.

The allegations are the most recent example of the disorderly and often violent behavior on airlines since the outbreak began. Many of the scuffles have been caused by passengers who refused to wear the masks required by the federal government.