Woman claiming to be pregnant attacks Spirit Airlines employee at airport
Fight broke out after traveller who ‘clearly smelled’ of alcohol was denied boarding
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A woman who claimed she was pregnant has been arrested after allegedly attacking a Spirit Airlines employee when she was unable to board her flight.
Que Maria Scott, 29, faces charges relating to disorderly conduct following the altercation, which flared up after she was turned away from the gate at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday night, reports Fox News.
The brawl was caught on video by bystanders within the airport. According to Atlanta Police Department documents, employees said before it kicked off Ms Scott was understood to have told the victim she was from “West Philly” and was going to “beat your ass”.
In a clip shared on Twitter, a woman can be seen punching and tackling the victim as onlookers shout for her to stop. A number of men can be seen trying to separate them, and according to the police report it took four bystanders to pull them apart.
Police confirmed that they were called to a dispute at the gate, and while responding they got a further update that it had become a physical confrontation.
The victim has been named as Jasmine Rhoden, an airline manager. She told police that she had intervened after Ms Scott allegedly threatened to beat up one of the gate agents. After the threats, the employees told her she could not board the flight, but she allegedly tried to get on anyway.
The incident report said: “Ms Rhoden stated that the Ms Q Scott put her boarding pass in one of her pockets, pulled up her sweatpants and proceeded to attack her by swinging her arms and hitting [the victim] on the left side of her face.”
“[She] then stated that Ms Q Scott began to pull her hair at the scene and pulling her into a barrier that was at the location, causing them to fall to the ground.”
The report also notes that Ms Rhoden “clearly smelled alcohol on Ms Q Scott, even though Ms Q Scott claimed to be pregnant”.
After the fight, an officer from Homeland Security held Ms Scott before police arrived on the scene – at which point she was “still irate and using abusive language toward others involved at the scene”.
Bodycam footage shows Ms Scott claiming to be pregnant, and she tells the officer that she “didn’t do nothing to nobody” and is “gonna remember your face in my head forever”.
The Independent has contacted Spirit Airlines for comment.
It follows a passenger having to be held back by fellow travellers after he appeared to attack a flight attendant and attempt to jump from the plane.
Last month, a group of men were kicked off a flight and banned by two airlines after they were accused of being “verbally abusive” towards cabin crew and other passengers.
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