New York ( CNN ) -- Call them the not-so-friendly skies . A flight attendant cursed out passengers , grabbed a beer then triggered an emergency chute Monday at a JFK Airport terminal , authorities say . New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said it `` appears '' Steven Slater was quitting . `` It 's a strange way to quit , let 's put it that way , '' he said . `` I do n't think he 'll be able to come back . '' Share your dramatic work exit story . Police arrested Slater for allegedly triggering the emergency escape chute , a spokeswoman for the district attorney said . Slater was arrested at his home and charged with criminal mischief , reckless endangerment and criminal trespass , said Helen Peterson at the Queens District Attorney 's Office . The incident took place just after the Jet Blue flight landed when a passenger stood to remove a bag from the overhead bin while the plane was still taxiing , a law enforcement source with direct knowledge said . A flight attendant exchanged words with the passenger , and the conversation escalated . Slater picked up the intercom and used expletives directed at the passengers , according to a source with knowledge of the investigation . It is not clear exactly what was said on the intercom . The source said that when the plane at stopped at the gate , Slater then grabbed some beer from the beverage cart before deploying the emergency slide and using it to leave the plane . New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said that it `` appears '' the flight attendant quit his job in a very dramatic way . `` I know the facts that have been related to me -- the plane was taxiing in , some passenger got up to take their bag down , the steward -- flight attendant -- approached , told him to not do that , '' said Kelly . `` He called him an expletive and apparently hit him or pushed him in some way . The story got on the radio based on a statement that ' I 've been doing this for twenty years and I 'm out of here . ' '' `` It 's a strange way to quit , let 's put it that way , '' he said . `` I do n't think he 'll be able to come back . '' The law enforcement source said that Port Authority police did not learn about the incident for about 20 to 25 minutes after it took place . Jet Blue public affairs would not respond to that claim . The airline also would not confirm any details of the incident but said that the evacuation slide was deployed on a plane that had parked at the gate after arriving from Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . The identity of the passenger involved in the altercation has not been confirmed . As a rule , passengers are required to stay in their seats with their seatbelts fastened until the pilot has reached the gate and gives the all clear sign . Peterson said the second degree criminal mischief and first degree reckless endangerment charges are felonies that could land Slater in jail for up to seven years . The criminal trespass charge and two other lesser mischief and endangerment charges are misdemeanors . CNN 's Doug Gross contributed to this report .
Source : NYPD 's report : ' Strange way to quit ' your job . Source : # ##liner waits 25 minutes to report incident . Police arrest flight attendant at his home in Queens . Flight attendant , they had words while plane was moving .