Spirit Airlines Flight Attendants Attacked by Unruly Passenger
Two Spirit Airlines flight attendants were attacked by a rowdy passenger on a flight to Nashville last week. Airport police arrested the 42-year old woman for public intoxication after she fought the two attendants, was restrained by another passenger, and told the arresting officers to "shoot me."
According to the arrest affidavit obtained by USA Today, the crew contacted the authorities at Nashville International Airport upon their flight from Fort Lauderdale around 7 p.m. –– just an hour after the plane took off –– saying that she punched one of the attendants and pulled the hair of the other one. Upon the plane's arrival, she was promptly arrested. Spirit Airlines spokesperson Nicole Aguiar didn't speak on the arrest affidavit, but confirmed that law enforcement officials escorted a passenger off of the plane for their "unruly behavior." "We do not tolerate aggressive behavior of any kind, and this passenger is no longer welcome on any of our flights," Aguiar said in an email.
"Thank you to our guests who assisted our crew and local law enforcement for their assistance," Aguiar continued in the email. "We will work with the relevant authorities to ensure this individual is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
When the passenger in question was taken off of the plane, another passenger kept her feet restrained using zip ties. The affidavit claims she smelled of alcohol, her eyes were bloodshot, and she slurred her words as she spoke. She told officers at the time of her arrest that she'd had "a lot" to drink. The airline told local news outlet WKRN that it had no intentions to press charges against the passenger.
"Law enforcement officers met Spirit Airlines flight NK222 after arriving in Nashville from Fort Lauderdale and removed a passenger for unruly behavior. We do not tolerate aggressive behavior of any kind, and this passenger is no longer welcome on any of our flights. Thank you to our Guests who assisted our crew and local law enforcement for their assistance. We will work with the relevant authorities to ensure this individual is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," the airline said in a stateement.